Legacy of Hope Foundation Exhibition | Bi-Giwen: Coming Home – Truth-Telling from the Sixties Scoop

This exhibition by Legacy of Hope Foundation explores the experiences of Survivors of the Sixties Scoop, which began in the 1960s, where Indigenous children were taken from their families, often forcibly, and fostered and/or adopted out to non-Indigenous homes often far from their communities and even across the globe. Bi-Giwen is an Anishnaabe (Ojibway) word that means “coming home” and was given to Survivors by Algonquin Elder, Claudette Commanda.  

Developed with the input from the National Indigenous Survivors of Child Welfare Network, this innovative and challenging exhibition features the first-person oral testimonies of twelve Indigenous Survivors of the Sixties Scoop, and reflects upon not only their pain and loss, but also their enduring strength, courage, and resilience. 

Indigenous Programs & Services and UBC Okanagan Library have partnered to present this Legacy of Hope Foundation exhibition in the Flex Space (LIB 106B) within the UBC Okanagan Library during regular library hours. 

All UBC Okanagan community members are encouraged to visit the exhibition and learn the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Sixties Scoop.  

Interested in a tour? Guided tours will be avialable on September 29. Get a tour!

Questions? Contact Naim Cardinal, Education Facilitator in Indigenous Program and Services at naim.cardinal@ubc.ca or Christian Isbister, Indigenous Initiatives Librarian at christian.isbister@ubc.ca.  

Some of the information shared in the exhibit may be distressing and triggering. If you require emotional support or assistance, we encourage you to reach out to your personal support systems and/or contact the following:  

• Indian Residential School Survivors Society: toll-free at 1-800-721-0066 or the 24-hour crisis line at 1-866-925-4419 
• KUU-US Crisis Line Society, a 24-hour provincial Indigenous crisis line: adults call 250-723-4050; children and youth call 250-723-2040; or toll-free 1-800-588-8717. 
• UBC Okanagan Health and Wellness: all registered students have free 24/7 access to the UBC Student Assistance Program; toll-free 1-833-590-1328.