(Ottawa, ON) August 18, 2020 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is happy to share this week’s episode of Roots & Hoots. Gordon Spence, the host, is joined by Paul Okalik, where he discusses his Inuit traditions, the challenges of wildlife extinction and his passion for life, including his love of golfing.

Mr. Okalik is Inuk from Nunavut and is fluent in Inuktitut and English. With a political science degree and a Bachelor of Laws in his back pocket, Mr. Okalik was elected the very first Inuit Premier of Nunavut on March 5, 1999, and his mandate became effective on April 1, 1999, the day Nunavut territory came into existence. From 2008 to 2011, he served as a Nunavut Member of the Legislative Assembly. During his time as Premier, Mr. Okalik’s government brought many positive changes to Nunavut, including the enactment of an Official Languages Act (making Inuktitut an official language in Nunavut, in addition to English and French), Inuktitut Language Protection Act, Education Act and a modern Human Rights Act. As a politician, Mr. Okalik has also contributed to the creation of the Inuit Heritage Trust, the Nunavut Implementation Training Committee, the Nunavut Social Development Council and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.

Mr. Okalik is the father of three, and grandfather of two, and is currently the Arctic’s Lead Specialist for the World Wildlife Fund. He also continues to support Inuit language and cultural initiatives.

To listen to Roots & Hoots, visit: https://legacyofhope.podbean.com/

The LHF is celebrating their 20-year anniversary as a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential School System, Sixties Scoop, Day Schools and other colonial acts of oppression on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) people. Our latest exhibition, Escaping Residential Schools: Running for Their Lives, is now available through an animated virtual video, along with the Survivors’ video Testimonies. The exhibition examines the experience of Survivors of the Residential School System and raises awareness on the impacts it has on our communities. For more information on the project, please visit: https://legacyofhope.ca/project/escapingrs/

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