Working with Indigenous Stories in Media
November 16, 2024
Panelists Nelson Bird, Waubgeshig Rice, and Aretha Greatrix joined the IEA for a discussion on best practices for collaborating with Indigenous storytellers in media. They explored the importance of working with Indigenous voices in culturally respectful ways and how media outlets can improve their practices to better honour these stories and perspectives. The conversation addressed common pitfalls, including cultural misrepresentation, stereotyping, and the risks of shaping Indigenous perspectives to fit dominant narratives. Following the webinar, Indigenous creatives were invited to a Kitchen Table Talk to explore the themes further in a supportive and intimate space.
Nelson Bird is a member of Peepeekisis Cree Nation. After earning a journalism degree, he spent 26 years at CTV Saskatchewan News as a reporter, anchor, producer, cameraperson, and assignment editor. He is the longest-serving host and producer of Indigenous Circle and has won regional, national, and international awards, including a lifetime achievement award. He left CTV in July 2024 and is now a lecturer in the First Nations University Indigenous Communications Arts (INCA) journalism program.
Waubgeshig Rice is an author and journalist from Wasauksing First Nation. He has written four fiction titles, and his short stories and essays have appeared in numerous anthologies. His most recent novel, Moon of the Turning Leaves (2023), became a national bestseller. He graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University's journalism program in 2002 and spent most of his journalism career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a video journalist and radio host. He lives in Sudbury, Ontario, with his wife and three sons.
Aretha Greatrix, a Cree member of Kashechewan First Nation, was born and raised in Edmonton, AB. As the newly branded owner of Ready Up Productions Inc., she has produced documentaries on residential schools, reconciliation, and the Sixties Scoop. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Communications in Professional Writing from MacEwan University and earned a Master of Arts in Communication and Technology from the University of Alberta in 2023, where she explored reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and Canada.
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Statement of Gratitude:
The lands we live on connect us to the stories of our past and those that will be told in the future-the stories upon which our profession is based. These lands sustain and nourish us, and our relationships with each other help us thrive. The Indigenous Editors Association gives thanks to the the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Peoples who continue to steward the lands on which our head office is located, in Vancouver, BC. It is in this spirit of gratitude that we carry out our work as Indigenous members of the publishing community.
