(Ottawa, ON) – November 25, 2025 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of the sixth episode in our 8-part series on the Federal Indian Day School System, featuring Navalik Tologanak. Navalik, originally from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, speaks with host Gordon about the unique experiences of Inuit students within the colonial education system and how Day School ultimately conditioned her not to be afraid of white people.

Navalik attended Day School in Cambridge Bay. Growing up during the Cold War era, she recalls her father being recruited by the RCMP to work on the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line because he was fluent in both English and Inuktitut. Navalik shares vivid memories from her school years, including travelling by dog sled, being snowed in during winter storms, and remaining in touch with one of her teachers. A natural storyteller, Navalik has spent nearly 30 years as a journalist and is currently writing a book about her hometown of Cambridge Bay.

To listen to Indigenous Roots and Hoots please visit: https://bit.ly/rootsnhoots
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As an Inuit Elder, Navalik is deeply committed to supporting her community and helping Canadians and the Federal Government better understand Inuit knowledge and history. On the topic of Reconciliation, she emphasizes that we cannot hide from the history of abuse and that sharing Survivors’ stories is a profoundly healing act. She also notes that Canada is among the first nations to take meaningful steps toward Reconciliation and, by continuing on this path, could serve as an example for others around the world.

This special podcast series is made possible with funding from the Indigenous Screen Office. Under the umbrella of the Roots and Hoots Podcast, the series features Indigenous scholars, historians, Survivors, and knowledge keepers from across Canada who share first-hand accounts, perspectives, and knowledge of the Federal Indian Day School System.

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, their descendants, 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