(Ottawa, ON) – March 10, 2026 – On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, we are joined by Douglas Sinclair, a member of Peguis First Nation in Treaty 1 Territory. Douglas is the publisher and founder of Indigenous Watchdog, a vital online resource which reports on the status of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, and holds stakeholders accountable to progress made in real time. This episode is highly informative and instructive in terms of what stands in the way of making Truth and Reconciliation a lived reality for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Douglas speaks about the journey to developing this novel website. With a background in technology, and a desire to use his skills in research and technology to track and promote Truth and Reconciliation, Douglas launched the initial Indigenous Watchdog website in 2020 – five years after the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Summary Report in 2015. Every detail of how the Indigenous Watchdog website operates was meticulously planned. It revolves around three guiding principles; that it be “distinctions-based” and address issues specific to First Nations, Inuit and Métis; that it cover all stakeholders including all levels of government, churches, universities and colleges, business etc.. and that it covers all 22 Call to Action themes along with eight additional Indigenous critcal issues (such as drinking water advisories, suicide prevention and more).

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On the first of every month, Indigenous Watchdog releases a TRC Calls to Action status report. As of March 1, 2026, 44% of the Calls to Action are either stalled or not started, with 14 being complete. For each one that is stalled or not started, there are individual breakdowns of who is accountable and precisely for what outcome.

Living in a time where there is such a rise in denialism of the Residential School System, Indigenous Watchdog is both a clarifying and powerful tool. It keeps track of all the facts and has stayed the course, reminding Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Peoples who seek to better understand the systemic barriers that stand in the way of Truth and Reconciliation.

The Legacy of Hope Foundation works in collaboration with Indigenous Watchdog to foster Reconciliation in Canada, with our Executive Director & In-house Legal Counsel, Teresa Edwards serving on its Board.

About the Legacy of Hope Foundation

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 25 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate Canadians about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Child Welfare System on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, and their communities to address discrimination against Indigenous Peoples, and to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF works to encourage Canadians to address discrimination and injustice to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has 30 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history, which are free to borrow, and we are working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curricula for K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops, and Training, two Podcast series, all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Child Welfare System, and other colonial acts of oppression. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding to eliminate ongoing racism against Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation in Canada.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Teresa Edwards, B.A., LL.B / J.D.
Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel
Legacy of Hope Foundation
tedwards@legacyofhope.ca