A first that almost wasn't:
NATIVE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION FORMS IN CANADA...FINALLY
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Aboriginal journalists from across Canada marked the UN year of
Indigenous People (1993) by holding the first conference of native
media peoples to be held in history. According to the organizer
of the meeting, Linda Powless, the conference was an unqualified
success...even though it almost didn't happened.
Ms. Powless said just weeks before the conference was due to be
launched, the Canadian government's Secretary of State cancelled an
expected $15,000 grant, which the organizers had been led to
believe was a sure thing.
"And what better way for the Canadian government to show the world
and Canada it cares about native issues than to help organize a
conference for the very people who will be writing about those
issues, broadcasting programming about them and educating both
native and non-native peoples", wondered Ms. Powless.
In this UN Year of Indigenous People, the Canadian government
celebrated the year by imposing a 10 per cent cut to native
communications societies and native programs. The NJA was one of
those cuts.
Upon hearing the news, instead of getting discouraged or cancelling
the conference, the organizers started digging deep into
foundations and media outlets asking for financial help. The
contributions that came forth made it possible to hold the
conference and to launch the association.
The Association aims at finding ways to increase the number of
native journalists in mainstream media and to reinforce
communications, as an industry, in native communities. The
association also aims at lobbying the Canadian government so that
amendments be made to the Indian Act, in a way that ensures freedom
of press on Indian reservations. So far, according to Lynda
Powless, a legal vacuum on this issue has enabled band councils to
impose unacceptable limitations to freedom of expression in
numerous native communities.
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This article is from InteRadio, Vol. 5, No.3.
InteRadio is the newsletter of AMARC, the World Association
of Community Radio Broadcasters
InteRadio is published in English, French and Spanish
To suscribe or for information, contact AMARC at:
3575 St-Laurent, # 704 - Montreal, Quebec - H2X 2T7 Canada
Fax: +(514) 849-7129 - Tel: +(514) 982-0351
Email: amarc@web.apc.org
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