(Ottawa, ON) November 10, 2021 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) would like to acknowledge the generosity and support of Thea Thomas and Karahkwa Designs. Karahkwa Designs is an Indigenous-led swimwear and accessories brand, based out of Kahnawake, Quebec. With their donation the LHF will be able to print more educational resources that educate Canadians about Indigenous history and try to address discrimination and foster Reconciliation.

Karahkwa Designs is passionate about making quality, accessible, and affordable swimwear, and accessories. Karahkwa translates to Sun in Mohawk, and it also speaks to the guidance, goal-setting, confidence and success that is infused into Karahkwa Designs. With Karahkwa as their name and logo, the sun is seen as governing thought into energy for action. The women who lead Karahkwa Designs, are doing so with the motto, Together, everyone achieves more.

“The support that they have shown to the LHF is so encouraging,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF. She continued, “We are so thankful to all Indigenous-led businesses doing what they can to give back. With Karahkwa Designs, it not only speaks to their success, but to their motto of working with others to accomplish more.”

The LHF is a national, indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 21 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Sixties Scoop on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF works to encourage people to address discrimination and injustice in order to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation.

The LHF has 25 exhibitions that are available for loan for free. One exhibition, Escaping Residential Schools: Running for their Lives, is now available through an animated virtual video, along with the Survivors’ Oral 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/ The LHF is working on making its other exhibitions also available online.

The LHF also has curriculum from K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and Podcasts all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Day Schools. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism and foster Reconciliation in Canada.