Stories

Going back to move forward

In 1963, Ida Atagoyuk was separated from her baby daughter and sent south for tuberculosis treatment. She never gave her consent. And she never had a chance to say goodbye.

Decades after her three-year sanatorium stay, her dream was to return — for a different kind of healing.

More than 1,200 Inuit were treated for tuberculosis in Hamilton in the 1950s and 60s. Ida’s dream inspired SeeChange, a health-focused charity working in the Arctic, to plan two trips to the city.

Ida was not able to attend the first visit in 2023. The second, in May 2025, was supported by HCF and saw Ida and 12 other Inuit participate in three days of meaningful activities, including a private viewing of carvings by former patients, a visit to sanatorium archives at McMaster University, and a solidarity circle at Six Nations of the Grand River. There, a box of tears collected at a healing circle was ceremonially burned. At an emotional trip to Woodland Cemetery, participants visited graves and saw a draft plaque honouring every patient, including Ida’s grandmother, who died in Hamilton.

The historic trip was documented by an Inuit-led media company so others back home and across Canada could learn from the experience.

Youth participation was very important. “Our youth don’t know the stories of the TB sanatoriums,” says Naomi Tatty, SeeChange’s intercultural health lead. “Many don’t understand that trauma is passed on.” Youth participant Christopher Idlout described the visit as eye-opening. “It makes me feel better to know the Elders are getting a little weight off their chest,” he says. “Not only did I learn what happened, but I see the impact it’s had on Inuit like me.”

“We really wanted to listen to the Elders, and we did,” says Carol Devine, SeeChange’s chief operating officer. “This journey wouldn’t have happened without HCF. We felt believed in.”

For HCF, involvement was about making reconciliation real. “We want to use this as an opportunity to acknowledge what happened in the past and understand our role in the healing you are doing,” President & CEO Rudi Wallace told visitors.

For the Elders, the shared healing in Hamilton has become a road home.

“There was always a sense of negativity lingering inside me, and it’s gone now,” says Pauyungi Aqpik. “I feel a sense of peace.”

Excerpt from 2024-25 annual report