(Ottawa, ON) –  February 22, 2023 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 14, featuring Mohawk language teacher, Kawennakon Bonnie Whitlow. Kawennakon speaks of her dreams to learn the Mohawk language her whole life. From elementary all the way through to university, there was never an option to learn any ancestral languages native to the land. She was always searching. Of her language journey, she shares her experiences learning as an adult, and how it informs her teaching to students today.

As Kawennakon clearly states, learning one’s Indigenous language is so much more than just learning a second language. It truly encompasses a healing journey and a reclamation of identity. She shares: “The reason that I fell so in love with learning the language is that it absolutely rooted out colonial thought and gave me the worldview of my ancestors by learning how they said something…each word having a cultural legacy around it.” One of the biggest barriers she sees with Indigenous language learning, is the fear students have of making mistakes and of the marking system which places too much focus on standardized success instead of focussing on submersion in and transmission of the language. With that, she tries to bring hope and community into the classroom by showing students that there is so much they can do with their language outside the classroom.

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.

Pour les demandes médiatiques, contactez :
Teresa Edwards, B.A., LL.B. JD. Directrice générale et conseillère juridique interne Fondation autochtone de l’espoir Courriel:info@legacyofhope.ca Téléphone:613-237-4806, poste 303