Indigenous Journalism degree in Regina will be first of its kind in North America
A university journalism program decades in the making is finally a reality.
Beginning in September, The First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) will be offering a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Journalism and Communication Arts.
“This program will help realize the importance of Indigenous voices and the expression of stories from Indigenous Peoples’ perspective,” said Jackie Ottmann, the president of FNUniv.
In previous years, FNUniv had offered a two year journalism program. After completion, students would then move to the University of Regina’s School of Journalism.
The new program will be aligning with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action 84-86. It will also include several topics valued at FNUniv.
“The foundation will be Indigenous knowledge systems, Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing,” Ottmann said.
“The integration of languages, understanding of histories, of current lived histories of Indigenous peoples,”
Indigenous Communication Arts (INCA) has been a program offered at FNUniv since 1982, guiding students into the world of news and media.
“Everyone is a storyteller and everyone has that ability to share stories. This is obviously a one of a kind place to come and do that,” Brittany Poitras, a third year student at FNUniv said.
Shannon Avison has been a part of INCA for many years. With the Media landscape shifting, she sees more options as a benefit for students.
“The mainstream media, the Indigenous Media are really crying out for people who can do a good job at covering Indigenous issues,” Avison, an associate professor at FNUniv said.
The new program will begin in September.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.