(Ottawa, ON) – September 21, 2022 –The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 5 with John Kershaw. In this unique episode, we spoke to John who is of settler descent and an impassioned ally to Indigenous Peoples. Born and raised in the United States, John has lived in many places, but settled on Calgary when he began teaching in the early 2000’s. In 2019, John moved up to Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan and has been on a continued journey of learning the Cree language. Teaching in Sandy Bay and seeking out respectful ways of learning the Cree language, John sees this as a way of practicing Reconciliation; a role he cares for greatly.

John shares his experiences as an adult learner of the Cree language in the beautiful community of Sandy Bay. He speaks of the lack of learning resources available in the TH dialect of Cree (in comparison to the Y dialect). John shares that for him, watching NCI – Kehte-Hiyak YouTube videos have been beneficial to his learning of the TH dialect. John says funding, the creation of more resources, and more understanding of the value of Indigenous languages is what is needed for revitalization and reclamation. Of the learning process he shares: “Recognizing that any language you’re learning has a different mindset, a different way of organizing thoughts, ideas… and not trying to do word for word translations.” John is community minded and enjoys living in Sandy Bay where language revitalization is prioritized by teachers in the school as well as supported by the community.

Voices from the Land is an Indigenous Languages Revitalization Project funded by Canadian Heritage. Over the course of the winter months of 2022, host Gordon Spence spoke with Indigenous language teachers, adult learners and parents and caretakers of children learning their Indigenous language. From Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe); to Nehiyaw (Cree); the Michif language; Kanien’kéha (Mohawk); Onʌyoteˀa·ká (Oneida); and Dȁn k’e (Southern Tutchone), language learners, teachers and parents across Turtle Island share their insights and experiences. The goal of these 21 interviews was to gain a sense of the barriers and successes to learning one’s own language. We invite you to hear their voices and learn from their truth, as the languages have taught them so much and they want to share.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 22 years. 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 Day Schools and the subsequent Sixties Scoop. By fostering empathy and understanding, LHF encourages people to address discrimination and injustice and contributes to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has more than 25 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow and is working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curricula 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. in order to offer solutions on how to be an ally. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism against Indigenous Peoples.