(Ottawa, ON) September 20, 2022 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is thrilled to announce the launch of its Survivor Portal on September 30, 2022, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This web page will showcase the numerous education materials and projects developed by the LHF that speak to the rich histories, as well as the impacts of abuses on 7 generations of Indigenous Peoples and communities because of attending Residential and Day Schools, and/or being affected by the Sixties Scoop, as well as the power of culture.

The Survivor Portal will be featuring videos of interviews recorded through our Interweaving Our Communities project. This project aims to connect various Indigenous Peoples and communities by sharing their local cultural practices and how these practices benefit them or can benefit others in their healing journeys. This project had LHF working with Indigenous Knowledge Keepers across Canada where LHF filmed their approved self-care teachings or on-the-land practices that promote well-being for Survivors. The intent is to have a portal filled with healing and cultural knowledge and practices available to anyone impacted by Residential/Day School and/or the Sixties Scoop in order support their well-being and cultural reclamation.

In November 2021, the LHF met with members of the Mekap’sk Mi’kmaq Band in Newfoundland and Labrador. Some of the interviews conducted included the healing power of drumming and sharing circles, addressing intergenerational trauma, the importance of having a connection with nature and all its elements, and the power of cultural reclamation as a mean to reconnect with one’s Indigenous identity, healing and empowerment to reverse what has been taken from 7 generations.

“We are so honoured and grateful to be sharing an initiative that identifies methods that Survivors and intergenerational Survivors have shared and found helpful in reclaiming what they need to feel supported. These workshops were made possible because of the donations from Canadians and from small, medium and large businesses,” stated Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF. She continued, “We are so grateful for the project support and what we have been able to develop with Survivors as an act of Reconciliation. People can rest assured that the donations they make to LHF are going to support healing and cultural reclamation for Survivors and their families. It has been an incredible journey and we are thankful to be continuing this work.”

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 22 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and impacts on 7 generations of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) children, their families and communities from attending Residential and/or Day School. By fostering empathy and understanding, LHF encourages peoples to address discrimination and injustice and contributes to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has 30 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow and LHF is working on making exhibitions also available online. LHF also has curriculum for 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 and Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, etc. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism against Indigenous Peoples.