(Ottawa, ON) – December 9, 2025 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation is pleased to announce the release of our seventh episode in an 8-part series on the Federal Indian Day School System with Barry Sarazin. Host Gordon joins Barry at his home in Pikwàkanagàn First Nation as they discuss the ongoing fight for the protection of Indigenous rights and why language teachings should form an integral part of education for Indigenous Peoples.

Barry starts the interview sharing the history of the Algonquin People and territories, including the creation of his community. Barry grew up living the traditional ways of hunting, trapping and fishing, yet was unable to do so in his territory because the game warden and Indian agent would often work together to prevent them from practicing their rights. Barry has always had a sense of who he was and did not think he was any different from anyone else – until he went to university.

To listen to Indigenous Roots and Hoots please visit: https://bit.ly/rootsnhoots
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/rnhpodcasts
Spotify: https://bit.ly/rnhspotify
Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/rnhgoogle
Amazon/Audible: https://amzn.to/43DaaeI
Podcast Addict: https://bit.ly/rnhpodaddict

Barry talks about relearning his language and reconnecting with his spiritual path after his teen years, noting how sometimes we take the long way to fulfilling our callings. He shares how the biggest loss that he experienced at Day School was the loss of his language and how he is always thinking of ways to make it more accessible to students and community members. As a language teacher in his community for many years, he sees both the need and value for schools to have two fluent language teachers, giving students the opportunity to hear how the language flows. He says it’s good that more Canadian schools are teaching about the spiritual connection that Indigenous Peoples have to the land and facilitating opportunities for all students to deepen this connection, as it inevitably promotes stewardship and sustainable practices on Mother Earth.

This special podcast series is made possible with funding from the Indigenous Screen Office. Under the umbrella of the Roots and Hoots Podcast, the series features Indigenous scholars, historians, Survivors, and knowledge keepers from across Canada who share first-hand accounts, perspectives, and knowledge of the Federal Indian Day School System.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 25 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate Canadians about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Child Welfare System on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to address discrimination against Indigenous Peoples, and to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF works to encourage Canadians to address discrimination and injustice to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has 30 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history, which are free to borrow, and we are working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curricula for K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops, and Training, two Podcast series, all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Child Welfare System, and other colonial acts of oppression. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding to eliminate ongoing racism against Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation in Canada.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Teresa Edwards, B.A., LL.B / J.D.
Directrice générale et conseillère juridique interne
Fondation autochtone de l’espoir
tedwards@legacyofhope.ca