Before I started writing my column, Under the Northern Sky, I didn’t know much about Native publications. After doing a little research, I was amazed to find out that there were so many high-quality First Nations publications.
Most of the time my people, up the James Bay coast, get their information from the mainstream non-Native media. Today we are bombarded by mostly American television and radio programming. Many people in Attawapiskat have satellite receiving systems or dishes, with access to a couple of hundred mostly American channels.
Thankfully, our First Nations communities up the coast have access to Wawatay, a Native-owned and operated television, radio and newspaper society. Everybody up North listens to Wawatay Radio, which broadcasts call-in requests, Elder features, stories and general news from the area. Wawatay television features productions on sensitive issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, and covers the traditional pursuits of First Nations people. Wawatay Newspaper is distributed throughout the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation area and beyond. It is a vital source of Native news that helps keep all of us northerners informed.
There are many other great First Nations publications. The Nation, which focuses on news from the Quebec side of the James Bay area, is a magazine-type format that is published every two weeks by Beesum Communications with a head office in Chisasibi, Quebec. This is a professional publication dedicated to keeping people in remote communities informed. Another wonderful publication is the Anishinabek News, which is a tab-size newspaper published monthly by
the Union of Ontario Indians for the Anishinabek Nation. This paper, which is based in the Nipissing First Nation near North Bay, is distributed across Ontario.
Further south there is the Tekawennake Six Nations and New Credit News, which is a tab-size newspaper printed weekly. The “Teka,” as it is referred to affectionately by people who are familiar with the newspaper, is based in Ohsweken. The Wikwemikong Newspaper is a monthly publication based in Wikwemikong, Ontario, on Manitoulin Island. The Moosonee Freighter, based in Timmins, Ontario, although not Native-owned, services the eastern James Bay coastal First Nations communities, and the Cochrane Times based in Cochrane, Ontario, has a high Native readership.
The First Perspective and The Drum, both monthly Native publications, and Cree Nation News, a bimonthly newspaper, are all based in the Brokenhead First Nation, Manitoba. Native Journal is another impressive and comprehensive national Native publication based in Edmonton, Alberta. The Alberta Native News, which is published monthly, is distributed throughout much of Canada. This newspaper is based in Edmonton. Windspeaker newspaper is a long-established monthly newspaper also published by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society in Edmonton.
You can imagine how surprised I was to find out that there were so many Native publications available. First Nations people are often either disregarded or stereotyped by the mainstream media, so it is very important that we as a people have our own voice. A big thank you to all those who work the long hours and so hard to give us that voice.
