Sharing Indigenous voices and resources through the Reconciling Journalism website

Reconciling Journalism was created as part of the School of Journalism’s efforts to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #86. (external link) 

To redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation, Call to Action #86 calls upon Canadian journalism programs and media schools to require education for all students on the history of Aboriginal peoples. This includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal–Crown relations.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on journalists to play a role in reconciliation in Canada.

"That means journalism schools play an essential role in educating the next generation of journalists about Indigenous issues in this country,” said the Rogers journalist-in-residence at Toronto Metropolitan University, Duncan McCue. 

The site’s mission is to improve the quality of stories about Indigenous peoples and issues by encouraging students to expand their knowledge and build relationships with Indigenous communities.

It provides students and educators with a variety of local and national resources to learn about Indigenous issues and Indigenous communities, as well as providing context on current issues such as treaty rights and the impact of residential schools on Indigenous peoples.

McCue said he hopes Reconciling Journalism will be the first stop for student journalists reporting on Indigenous communities for the first time, or, who may not be familiar with the Indigenous communities in the GTA.

 “Every journalist needs to start somewhere when they begin researching a story. We hope this compendium of resources will make it a little less daunting for TMU students to take on stories about Indigenous communities,” he said.

The site is a safe place to learn and ask questions about best practices for reporting Indigenous stories and incorporating more Indigenous learning into the journalism curriculum.

The first version of the site (with a different URL), was created by associate professor Janice Neil, supported with funding from the Aborignial Education Council at Toronto Metropolitan University, and built by Lindsay Hanna. Redevelopment started when associate professor Nicole Blanchett was working to integrate more Indigenous learning into JRN 103: Introduction Journalism.

“I realized we could build on what was already there and make this an important resource for all Creative School Journalism students, the wider university, and anyone looking to improve their coverage of and gain a better understanding of Indigenous communities, now and into the future,” Blanchett said.

Student Gabrielle McMann shares her experience working on Reconciling Journalism

This past summer, I worked as a digital editor while helping rebuild the Reconciling Journalism website. As I’m Mohawk from the Mississauga of the Credit First Nation, I was happy to be a part of this project and work within my community. It was a great opportunity to work on my journalistic skills since, at the time, I had just finished my first year at J-School, as well as provide students who desire to learn about Indigenous communities with the resources to do so.

In the past, how Canadian newsrooms have portrayed Indigenous voices and communities has caused a lot of damage. The Reconciling Journalism website promotes Indigenous voices and provides educational resources to journalism students in hopes of helping change how we report on Indigenous-related topics.

I chose to go into journalism because it allows you to share stories with the world. Important stories. The voices that are left unheard in mainstream media. So when Nicole mentioned she was looking for a student to help work on this project, I knew it was an opportunity to help amplify the voices of my community.

The website promotes and supports Indigenous-created content and voices. The showcase section on the site has a variety of creative, intellectual, and educational content created by Indigenous journalists, authors, and producers.

The site hopes to continue to provide a platform for Indigenous students and host many different student projects on Indigenous issues and communities at Toronto Metropolitan University. We hope it will promote Indigenous success and empower young Indigenous journalists early in their careers.