Learning to tell the stories of the land
Canadian environmental journalism can do better when it comes to giving a voice to Indigenous people and perspectives
Hello everyone,
This month, we’re publishing a story by our collaborator, a student in the journalism department at Concordia, Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman. She explores the representation of Indigenous voices in environmental reporting.
We will share our favourite stories from the past few weeks in an upcoming newsletter. We wish to avoid flooding you with content!
See you soon,
Amelie
Learning to tell stories of the land
Canadian environmental journalism can do better when it comes to giving a voice to Indigenous people and perspectives
By Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman
Indigenous communities have been at the forefront of environmental protection for generations. Yet, when wildfires rage, pipelines spark debate or land protection movements make headlines, their voices are often pushed to the margins of mainstream coverage.
“It’s always difficult when you look at stories, even stories that are about Indigenous people, often we see that we’re not centered in the story,” said Kristy Snell, professor in the Department of Journalism at Concordia University and member of Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation in Saskatchewan.
Students from Kahnawà:ke Survival School record their stories in the Concordia University podcast studio. Credit: Robin Della Corte
Even though climate change is expected to hit Indigenous communities hardest in North America, their perspectives remain limited in mainstream media coverage. The conversation in Indigenous media, such as Navajo Times, and Western, mainstream ones, such as The New York Times, offers a very different view on climate change and Indigenous People, as found, in a recently published study, by McCrackin and colleagues from the Utah State University.
Some newsrooms are taking action.
One such newsroom is The Narwhal, a Canadian investigative magazine with a focus on environmental issues. Part of their mission is the recognition “that environmental journalism must be grounded in respect for Indigenous Knowledge and Indigenous Rights and must foreground Indigenous voices,” according to their website.
“A lot of the issues we cover relate to Indigenous rights issues,” explained Mike De Souza, The Narwhal’s director of enterprise and investigations and former managing editor. “It is very difficult to tell those stories if we’re not speaking to the Indigenous people, to the First Nations people, to the Inuit, to the Métis people who are directly affected.”
The media would benefit from understanding climate change from an Indigenous perspective, explains a recent book chapter authored by Candis Callison, the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous journalism, media, and public discourse.
“Climate change should be considered not a first or new global crisis, but a continuation of one that began with colonialism, empire-building, and global trade in the late 15th century,” she writes.
Indigenous people also bring “distinctive knowledge and approaches to being in good relations with both human and nonhuman worlds,” she adds.
Whom are we hearing from?
Beyond going to communities affected by climate change, Snell said there are plenty of other Indigenous voices that could be included in reporting about environmental issues.
“There are Indigenous scientists, there are Indigenous professionals, people whom we could speak to in an academic context that could speak to this as well,” she said. “There are lots of Indigenous experts out there.”
The inclusion of a diversity of voices is central to The Narwhal’s reporting. De Souza explained that they hold a monthly debrief to analyze their reporting and find ways to improve.
Within Indigenous communities, there are also a variety of voices, views and opinions. The most easily accessible for reporters are often the political class: chiefs, ex-chiefs or other political leaders. Snell said that, in some cases, there might not be consensus in terms of who represents the community.
How are we writing about Indigenous peoples?
Beyond the inclusion of Indigenous voices in environmental reporting, journalists have to consider the language they use to present their interviewees. Snell pointed to the different connotations of terms like “protesters” and “land protectors.”
Snell also pointed out that Indigenous groups are often portrayed as merely complaining about issues, noting that this framing strips them of agency and diminishes the valuable insights and solutions they contribute.
“It’s not just sort of this angry group of people, angry over what is happening, and helpless,” she said. “There’s so much more there, and there’s so much energy being put into solutions.”
De Souza highlighted the importance of being aware of stereotypes in reporting and of having well-rounded coverage of Indigenous communities, presenting not only what they are fighting against, but also what they are fighting for.
The Narwhal has a dedicated “Solutions” page on its website, which includes reporting on a recent effort to fight pollution and environmental racism in Aamjiwnaang First Nation and on new Indigenous-led conservation efforts.
Snell is hopeful that journalism can change the way it reports Indigenous stories. According to her, including more Indigenous reporters and leaders in newsrooms is the necessary first step. One way she hopes to make a difference is through the Kaié:ri Nikawerá:ke Indigenous Bridging Program at Concordia, which will expand to include the journalism program in September.
“I think the more we have these conversations, the more we think about it, the more we look at the way and think critically about the way the media tells Indigenous stories,” she said. “It takes time, but I’ve been doing this for a long time. It is improving, for sure. And so, it’s just important to keep that conversation going and just always keep working toward change.”
Carbon Paper recommends…
A guide every reporter should read, leading Indigenous journalist Duncan McCue’s Decolonizing Journalism, published in 2023, is both eye opening and very practical.
Everything First Nations and Indigenous Studies at UBC professor Candis Callison is worth a look. We highly recommend her book, coauthored with Mary Lynn Young, Reckoning: Journalism’s Limits and Possibilities, published in 2020. She’s Tahltan (Indigenous people located in what is now Northwestern British Columbia), a former journalist, and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous journalism, media, and public discourse.
Creating welcoming spaces: Indigenous journalism students’ perspectives on programming and representation, Prof. Kristy Snell’s research drawing from her unique teaching approach, was published last fall in Facts and Frictions.
Full disclosure: Kristy Snell is a colleague at the Journalism Department, and Amelie sits on Facts and Friction’s editorial board.
The Climate and the Media in Canada newsletter is brought to you by Concordia Journalism associate professor Amélie Daoust-Boisvert and her team. It’s made possible because of support from the Centre for Journalism Experimentation (JEX). Questions, feedback? Reach out at cmrconcordia@gmail.com
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This month, the newsletter is signed by Marieke Glorieux-Stryckman, with revisions from Claudia Beaudoin and Amélie Daoust-Boisvert. Brianna Losinger-Ross coordinated the publication. Editor-in-chief and editor is Amélie Daoust-Boisvert.