(Ottawa, ON) – March 25, 2026 -  On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, we are joined by Brandon Mitchell, from Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation, now living in the unceded Wolastoqiyik, Peace and Friendship Treaty territory of Fredericton, New Brunswick. Brandon always had an innate talent for drawing and in this interview he shares how he developed a career in storytelling and animation.

Brandon’s parents made a point to nurture his interests from a young age. They set an example for him on the importance of building a strong work ethic, encouraging him to take chances. Brandon found a way to fuse his love of comic books and cartoons into a generative and meaningful career. With over two decades of expertise in graphic novels, gaming, and animation, Brandon is a seasoned multidisciplinary artist. He shares how a teaching assignment as an art teacher in his home community helped inspire him to create the Sacred Circle comic series and later found Birch Bark comics. Adventures of the Pugulatmu’j, is one of Brandon’s latest projects which incorporate his language, culture, and stories he grew up hearing from his mom and dad. Brandon shares how we all have stories that are worth telling and sharing – cherished memories that are important to preserve.

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On the topic of Reconciliation, Brandon shares how easy it can be for issues affecting Indigenous Peoples to become trendy movements soon forgotten. He shares how there needs to be more continuous and ongoing efforts to make things better and this comes from being able to hold institutions accountable. Ultimately, Brandon says that Reconciliation needs to be nurtured on all sides, in an environment where it can flourish and grow.

About the Legacy of Hope Foundation

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, 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