About the LHF

Our Mandate

 

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is a national Aboriginal charitable organization whose purposes are to educate, raise awareness and understanding of the legacy of residential schools, including the effects and intergenerational impacts on First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and to support the ongoing healing process of Residential School Survivors. Fulfilling this mandate contributes towards reconciliation among generations of Aboriginal peoples, and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada.

 

The LHF fulfills this mandate by: working in partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, communities and organizations across Canada; and undertaking communications, research and policy activities that support the development and implementation of our educational programming. All of these activities are informed by the experiences and stories of Residential Schools Survivors, their families and communities.

Our work is guided by ethical guidelines and principles for working with Survivors and Aboriginal communities. These ethical guidelines are based on:

 

1) a deep concern and compassion for, and honouring of, Survivors, their families and communities; and

 

2) a clear understanding of the need for and importance of the oral tradition of Aboriginal peoples. We take as our fundamental guiding principle that the work of the LHF must contribute to the health, safety, well-being and healing Survivors, their families and communities, and towards promoting reconciliation in Canada.

 

About the Partners and Funders

Partners

Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF)

 

An Aboriginal-managed, national, Ottawa-based, not-for-profit private corporation established in 1998 and provided with funding by the federal government of Canada as part of Gathering Strength — Canada’s Aboriginal Action Plan. The Aboriginal Healing Foundation was given a mandate to encourage and support, through research and funding contributions, community-based Aboriginal directed healing initiatives which address the legacy of physical and sexual abuse suffered in Canada’s Indian Residential School System, including inter-generational impacts. The AHF will cease operations in September 2014.

 

Funders

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)

 

AANDC supports Aboriginal people (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) and Northerners in their efforts to:

 

  • improve social well-being and economic prosperity;
  • develop healthier, more sustainable communities; and
  • participate more fully in Canada’s political, social and economic development – to the benefit of all Canadians.

AANDC is one of the federal government departments responsible for meeting the Government of Canada’s obligations and commitments to First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and for fulfilling the federal government’s constitutional responsibilities in the North. AANDC’s responsibilities are largely determined by numerous statutes, negotiated agreements and relevant legal decisions. Most of the Department’s programs, representing a majority of its spending – are delivered through partnerships with Aboriginal communities and federal-provincial or federal-territorial agreements. AANDC also works with urban Aboriginal people, Métis and Non-Status Indians (many of whom live in rural areas).

Canadian Heritage

 

The Department of Canadian Heritage delivers policies and programs related to broadcasting and interactive media, arts and cultural industries, heritage objects and spaces, official languages, citizenship participation and identity, human rights, Aboriginal Peoples, youth and sport initiatives, as well as national ceremonies and symbols.

 

The Canadian Heritage Portfolio includes the Department and major national cultural institutions. Together, they promote culture, the arts, heritage, official languages, citizenship and participation as well as Aboriginal, youth and sport initiatives.

 

About the Education Program

For more than a decade the Legacy of Hope Foundation has worked with Survivors, Aboriginal communities, researchers, curators, and educators to develop resources to increase public awareness and knowledge of the history and legacy of the Indian Residential School System and is pleased to announce the launch of its unique new education program: 100 Years of Loss – The Residential School System in Canada.

A collaborative effort, this education program was developed by a multidisciplinary team representing both education and museum practice, and is based on a museum education model. The program is comprised of two main components: the Edu-kit and the mobile exhibition. Throughout the research, planning, design, and development phases of 100 Years of Loss, the LHF worked closely with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis curriculum developers, researchers, and curators, and drew upon a wealth of Survivor testimony. This method assured that the program was developed in a culturally respectful manner and that the materials accurately reflect the experiences of Survivors. IRS Survivors were represented in the review process and the texts of both the Edu-kit and exhibition were subject to a rigorous review and verification process by the Research Division of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

The bilingual mobile exhibition and curriculum are designed to raise awareness about the history and legacy of residential schools and includes companion educational resources for students in grades 9-12. The exhibition consists of eight thematic pods (4 in each official language), and a wavy wall that presents interweaving timelines, and lends itself to week-long activities or events, such as Aboriginal Awareness Week. The 100 Years of Loss curriculum, targeted to Canadian youth aged 11-18, includes a timeline, videos including Survivor testimonies, and a Teacher’s Guide with six customizable lesson plans (12-24 hrs of activities), teacher resources and extension activities.

Venues

Current/upcoming venue(s):

  • Canadian Museum of History – Gatineau, QC (June 5 – 29, 2014)
  • Penticton Museum and Archives – Penticton, BC (April 4 – September 1, 2014)

Previous venues:

  • Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre – Montreal, QC (April 3 – May 1, 2014)
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s National Event – Edmonton, AB (March 27 – 30, 2014)
  • Ottawa-Carleton District School Board – Ottawa, ON (October 15-25, 2013)
  • University of Regina, 5th Parallel Gallery – Regina, SK (September 29 – October 18, 2013)
  • Laurentian University, Laurentian University Library – Sudbury, ON (September 30 – October 4)
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission national event – Vancouver, BC (September 18-21)
  • Canadian Teachers Federation – Ottawa, ON (July 8-9, 2013)
  • Red Deer College, Red Deer, AB (June 5-9, 2013)
  • United Way of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB (June 3-7, 2013)
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission National Event – Montreal, QC (April 24-27, 2013)
  • Nipissing University – North Bay, ON (April 2013)
  • University of Alberta – Edmonton, AB (March 2013)
  • Rocky View Schools – Airdire, AB (Feb 2013)
  • Parliament Hill – Ottawa, ON (November 2012)
  • Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery – Moose Jaw, SK (October – November 2012)
  • Brandon Friendship Centre – Brandon, MB (October 24-25, 2012)
  • Hull Child and Family Services – Calgary, AB (October 11-12, 2012)
  • Atlantic Regional Residential School Commemoration Event – Dartmouth, NS (Sept 12 – 14, 2012)
  • Shingwauk Residential School Centre – Sault Ste Marie, ON (August 3 – 6, 2012)
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission National Event – Saskatoon, SK (June 2012)
  • Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts (exhibition displayed at Toronto City Hall) – Toronto, ON (June 2012)
  • University of Western Ontario – London, ON (June 2012)
  • Mi’kmaq/Maliseet Healing Networking Centre, Mawiw Council of First Nations – Elsipogtog, Miramichi, Fredericton, NB (May – June 2012)
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission Regional Event – Victoria, BC (April 2012)
  • Journey of Heroes Conference – Abbotsford, BC (March 2012)
  • University of Alberta – Edmonton, AB (March 2012)
  • University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB (February – February 2012)
  • Truth and Reconciliation Commission National Event – Halifax, NS (October 2011)
  • Algoma University – Sault Ste Marie, ON (July 2011)