Honourable senators, I rise to join debate on Senator Cardozo’s Inquiry No. 22, which calls the attention of the Senate to the future of the CBC/Radio-Canada.

I would like to extend my thanks to Cheryl McKenzie, Executive Director of News and Current Affairs at the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, or APTN, which is the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world. Cheryl was instrumental in helping formulate these remarks.

Colleagues, some of you may be wondering why I am speaking about APTN for an inquiry that examines CBC/Radio-Canada. The answer lies in the March 2022 joint press release which announced these two entities’ new collaboration focused on creating more Indigenous content for all Canadians to enjoy and have access to.

The 2022 press release stated:

The agreement will enhance both networks’ abilities to create First Nations, Inuit and Métis programming, increase access to and awareness of this new content, and connect people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, across the land.

With this new partnership, the two broadcasters committed to working closely on Indigenous productions and news through the following:

Increasing the opportunities, training and resources for Indigenous creators . . . .

Collaborating on news and information programming, including sharing content and technical resources . . . and

Expanding the audiences for Indigenous programming . . . .

As such, it is easy to see why the future success of CBC/Radio-Canada also bodes well for the future success and growth of APTN.

Honourable senators, first launched in 1999, APTN has served Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences in Canada for over two decades. During this time, the network has steadfastly adhered to its mission:

To share our Peoples’ journey, celebrate our cultures, inspire our children and honour the wisdom of our Elders.

APTN has celebrated a recent milestone worthy of recognition. On September 1, 2024, it was APTN’s twenty-fifth anniversary. It was also the date that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, approved the launch of APTN’s Indigenous languages channel. APTN now provides a minimum of 100 hours per week of programming in a variety of Indigenous languages.

The vision for APTN has always been about protecting and promoting Indigenous languages and cultures. There is nowhere in the world, other than on Turtle Island, where Indigenous peoples can learn our ceremonies, practise our cultures — which are rooted in our languages — and uphold our lifeways and the world view of our ancestors.

Having a national television broadcaster with a significant presence on social media that is devoted to sharing Indigenous perspectives 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year is something that cannot be beat by any other broadcaster. No one is doing more than APTN when it comes to reaching out and amplifying Indigenous peoples and their long-quieted voices.

Furthermore, colleagues, APTN also boasts two daily newscasts in English and one daily newscast in French on both the main channel and the languages channel. This ensures all Indigenous peoples have access to news and information specific to First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The future goal and aspiration for APTN is to one day have access to the resources required to enable the provision of these newscasts in various Indigenous languages.

Honourable senators, when speaking of accessibility across Canada, APTN’s French-language weekly news program, “Nouvelles Nationales d’APTN,” which was launched in 2019, is another first-in-the-world accomplishment. The CRTC deemed it so important that it ordered this French weekly program as one of APTN’s conditions of licence. APTN is grateful for this news program because it opened their eyes to the many Indigenous peoples in Canada who don’t speak English but rather speak in both their traditional language as well as French.

Colleagues, the heart of APTN’s mandate has always been to serve Indigenous peoples. APTN broadcasts programming on multiple platforms by, for and about Indigenous peoples. As such, the programming is an expression of Indigenous cultures. This is distinct from the mandate of public broadcasters to reflect the diversity of Canada, including Indigenous peoples.

At APTN — especially within the news and current affairs department — their employees, especially interns and work placement students, also get more front-line opportunities faster than you would typically see at any national broadcaster. For example, they have told me stories where they have had people on a six-week work placement — near the end of their post‑secondary education in journalism and broadcasting — who showed so much potential that APTN provided them with the requisite training and the chance to anchor their pre-recorded weekend national newscast.

When these individuals proved meritorious, APTN then put them in the chair to anchor their live national newscast. Where else would you see an intern with this kind of transformative opportunity?

At APTN, journalists and broadcast professionals also have the privilege of heightened creative and editorial freedom in producing their work for broadcast. APTN’s editorial process emphasizes that their reporters and video journalists are integral to bringing the stories that are the most important in Canada’s various regions. While they still have assignments that come from their headquarters, there are not nearly as many layers of management and editors as there are in other national broadcasters. Additionally, the majority of their senior editorial staff is Indigenous.

Honourable senators, it is also worth noting for this collective in the chamber specifically that it wasn’t until Canada’s forty‑fourth federal election in 2021 when an Indigenous journalist was part of the panel putting questions directly to party leaders in the national televised English debate. This occurred because of the existence and recognized journalistic integrity of APTN News.

Certainly, other national broadcasters had Indigenous reporters before 2021, but APTN has been instrumental in pushing the needle forward as it pertains to Indigenous content and participation in the Canadian news and media landscape.

However, it should be noted that APTN’s work and impact are not solely limited to Canada’s borders. APTN is a founding member of the World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network, or WITBN, where member organizations collaborate and work together to bring global Indigenous news from Indigenous perspectives. WITBN’s stated mission, which is of critical import, is the following:

. . . to unite media broadcasters from around the globe in order to preserve and promote our indigenous languages and cultures through collaborative partnerships and the sharing of resources, knowledge, and programming.

By working together, they “. . . aim to increase the reach and understanding of Indigenous issues among all audiences . . . .”

Honourable senators, as APTN’s Executive Director of News and Current Affairs, Cheryl McKenzie, states:

Fundamentally, Indigenous peoples enjoy a sense of ownership over APTN. This makes it such a unique and cherished broadcaster across Canada.

This sense of pride, ownership and impact have been going strong for over 25 years. However, their ability to continue expanding their reach, increasing their content and walking further down the road of understanding and reconciliation is undeniably aided by their partnership and collaboration with CBC/Radio-Canada.

As such, colleagues, it is vital that CBC/Radio-Canada enjoys a long, prosperous and successful future. The stability and long‑term success of CBC/Radio-Canada will only be of benefit to APTN and Indigenous reporters, content creators and all involved in the broadcasting and dissemination of news that serves to protect and promote Indigenous language and cultures in Canada.

I thank you for your attention, and I thank Senator Cardozo for enabling this platform for me to shine a light on the critically important work of APTN. Kinanâskomitinawow. Thank you.