Legacy of Hope Foundation – Begins Regional Sessions for Wanishkahtan Project in Ottawa

(Ottawa, ON) January 10, 2020 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the beginning of the regional group sessions for the Waniskahtan Project. The project seeks to honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.

There will be a total of five regional sessions during the next four months including the East Coast, Quebec and Nunavut, Ontario, the Prairies, the West Coast, and one national session for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in Ottawa. “The goal of these sessions will be to gather feedback from families across Canada who have lost loved ones through violence and to help us create the best exhibition we can, in order to educate the public on the racism, sexism and violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. We need to inspire action that will end violence,” said LHF Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel, Teresa Edwards.

Individuals who are not able to make it to the sessions can still participate by filling up our “Ways to Participate” Form that can be found directly on our website at www.legacyofhope.ca.

The travelling exhibition, Waniskahtan and accompanying Activity Guide on MMIWG and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals will honour lives lost, increase awareness of the issues that put them at risk, address male violence, and promote actions to protect everyone. This includes encouraging exhibition viewers to make a personal commitment to stand up against violence and promote peace. Waniskahtan, is Swampy Cree and means “wake up.” Once completed, this exhibition will be added to the 19 (nineteen) LHF exhibitions that circulate across Canada, and which can be borrowed by hosts for free.

The LHF is a national Indigenous charitable organization whose purposes are to educate, raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of Residential Schools, including the Sixties Scoop and the intergenerational harms caused to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. LHF aims to support the ongoing healing process of Survivors and their families and to work with Canadians to take action to address racism and discrimination in order to promote equality and to foster Reconciliation.

For media inquiries:
Teresa Edwards, B.A. JD.
Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel
Legacy of Hope Foundation
Phone:  613-237-4806 Ext. 303 info@legacyofhope.ca