Summary:
APTN produces more than 80 per cent Canadian content, the vast majority which reflects the cultures, languages and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples. Its content is available in English, French and from year to year, between 15 and 23 Indigenous languages.
The Call to Action:
We call upon the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, as an independent non-profit broadcaster with programming by, for and about Aboriginal peoples, to support reconciliation, including, but not limited to:
i) Continuing to provide leadership in programming and organizational culture that reflects the diverse cultures, languages and perspectives of Aboriginal peoples.
ii) Continuing to develop media initiatives that inform and educate the Canadian public, and connect Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
Analysis:
APTN produces more than 80 per cent Canadian content, the vast majority of which reflects the cultures, languages and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples. Its content is available in English, French and from year to year, between 15 and 23 Indigenous languages.
About 62 per cent of APTN’s staff identify as Indigenous. APTN also works with more than 100 Indigenous producers across the country. It is also one of the founding members of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network.
“APTN upholds the TRC’s Calls to Action on many fronts both within the organization and in our programming and journalism,” said CEO Monika Ille.
“Committed to our audiences as ever, we will keep sharing Indigenous stories and voices through news and programming in linear and online in these times of change.”
APTN National News celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021. APTN has news bureaus in 14 cities across the country.
In 2021, APTN won a Michener Award for an investigative series on the First Nations child welfare system in Canada.
In August 2019 APTN aired its first broadcast of Nouvelles Nationales D’APTN, the network’s first national French language news segment intended for an Indigenous audience.
APTN’s partnership with Journalists for Human Rights has placed Indigenous interns at multiple APTN bureau locations across Canada since 2018. Its partnership with the Canadian Association of Journalists offers a fellowship to an Indigenous reporter in Winnipeg. It was placed on hold in 2020, however, due to the pandemic.
In 2021, APTN premiered Secret History of the Wild West, an Indigenous perspective of history as it unfolded in the 20th century, on its 4 channels as well as on APTN lumi. APTN also launched Gespe’gewa’gi: The Last Land, a docuseries that follows Mi’gmaq fishers in Listiguj, on its linear and online platforms.
On March 31, 2021, National Indigenous Languages Day, APTN launched an online interactive Speak With Pride platform that seeks to revitalize Indigenous languages and encourage speakers on their language reclamation journey.
In September 2021, APTN will air a special 24-hour lineup in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
In May 2020, APTN and The Discourse launched IndigiNews, an independent news outlet based in British Columbia which aims to address the long history of Canadian media poorly representing and perpetuating stereotypes about Indigenous communities.
APTN commissioned 68 original productions nationwide in 2020.
In October 2020, APTN and CBC aired Every Child Matters: Reconciliation Through Education, a special show created by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to honour residential school survivors and their families.
In September 2019, APTN launched APTN lumi, its Indigenous-focused online streaming service, available in English, French, and a number of Indigenous languages. In December 2020, APTN lumi became available to a wider audience for all Canadian subscribers to Apple TV.
As of April 2020, all APTN Kids programming on APTN lumi was made available for free streaming due to COVID-19 pandemic.
APTN Indigenous Day Live brings together Canadian and Indigenous artists on stages across the country and bridges cultures in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day since 2007.
Background:
In 2016, APTN launched the investigative series TAKEN, which focuses on Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
APTN Nation to Nation covers “stories of resistance and reconciliation as our peoples reclaim their place in Canada,” according to an APTN news release.
In 2017-18, APTN launched the documentary series Nations At War, which covers the “battles that shaped our continent,” from the “Viking invasion of Newfoundland to the desperate last stand of a Métis Nation fighting for recognition,” according to an August 2017 news release.
In 2017-18, APTN launched the series 1491, a story of the Americas pre-Columbus. Past award-winning series include Mohawk Girls and the Blackstone series.
In 2018, APTN was recognized as one of the Top 100 Employers in Canada, and was recognized by MediaCorp Canada Inc. as one of Canada’s Top Employers for Young People for the second year in a row. It was granted the distinction due to its commitment to recruiting and supporting Indigenous youth in the workplace. This includes paid mentorship programs for Indigenous youth within different areas of the organization, with an emphasis on news gathering.
In December 2017, APTN, in partnership with the Canadian Association of Journalists, announced a new award to “recognize exemplary journalism that educates and informs Canadians about Indigenous experiences,” according to a news release.
The award was in response to Call to Action #85, “to develop media initiatives that inform and educate the Canadian public and connect Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.”
The award recognizes the work of a non-Indigenous journalist because “the path of reconciliation is one that all Canadians should walk together and the work of informing and educating should not fall only to Indigenous peoples.”
In October 2017, when applying to renew its broadcasting licence to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CTRC), APTN requested an increase in user fees from Canadian subscribers, stating that the increase was needed as a response to Call to Action #85.
“APTN is requesting a modest increase to their wholesale fee for the next term, so as to continue their service to Aboriginal audiences, sustain a strong and talented Aboriginal production industry and grow opportunities to better serve the needs of Aboriginal communities through a comprehensive strategic plan.”
In August 2018, the CRTC renewed APTN’s licence and approved in part its request for an increase in funding.