Fellows in JHR’s Growing Indigenous Storytellers Fellowship conclude their six-month placement at APTN with a final project that brings together everything they’ve learned through the program.
JHR is proud to present the final projects of the fellowship’s first cohort, Angela Belleau and Veronica Blackhawk, and second cohort, Ryan Cunningham, Rose Jacobs and Julia Ross.
Angela Belleau, ‘Sacrifice Zones’, APTN Investigates
In this hour-long feature aired on APTN Investigates as part of APTN’s National Indigenous Peoples Day programming, Angela Belleau took the audience inside Indigenous fenceline communities living in dangerous proximity to pollutant-spewing industries.
Environmental advocate Lynn Jacobs (Kahnawà:ke) and community leaders CJ Smith-White and O’gimaa Janelle Nahmabin describe how plastic production and petrochemical pollution have reduced their homelands into what Jacobs calls “sacrifice zones”, places treated as disposable by governments and industry.
And even as their communities endure ongoing health crises and benzene leaks, the Global Plastics Treaty — for which the three participated in high-level negotiations — continues to sideline Indigenous rights.
This is as much a story about the fight against plastics as it is about the fight for Indigenous land, health and sovereignty.
Veronica Blackhawk, ‘Face Value’, APTN
In a five-part video series, Veronica Blackhawk talked to Indigenous musicians and industry professionals across the country about cultural identity in music – and how it affects the community at large. The project continued the conversation sparked by coverage of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s identity.
Featuring voices like Métis folk musician Mitchell Makoons, Anishinaabe artist Tashiina Buswa and Juno Award winner Cody Bowles, ‘Face Value’ highlights the personal, cultural and professional fallout of identity disputes, while also asking what repair can look like and how future policies can protect both culture and community.
Ryan Cunningham, coverage of 20th anniversary Intertribal Gathering of the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance, APTN National News
In this piece, fellow Ryan Cunningham shines a light on the important work of Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA) by showcasing their 20th Intertribal Gathering in Vancouver. The event featured performances by some of the top Indigenous theatre, dance, and music performers from across Turtle Island, and has as its mission to continue the process of promoting and supporting Indigenous performing arts as a component of cultural sovereignty.
In this piece, fellow Ryan Cunningham shines a light on the important work of Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA) by showcasing their 20th Intertribal Gathering in Vancouver. The event featured performances by some of the top Indigenous theatre, dance, and music performers from across Turtle Island, and has as its mission to continue the process of promoting and supporting Indigenous performing arts as a component of cultural sovereignty.
Rose Jacobs, Haudenosaunee potentially excluded from lacrosse’s return to the Olympics, APTN News
The 2028 Olympic Games will host lacrosse for the first time in 120 years, but, as Rose Jacobs reports in this feature, the event may not include the people who first played the game.
Rose travelled to the Six Nations of the Grand River to speak to players and proponents, who explained how lacrosse is more than a sport; it’s medicine and a connection to Haudenosaunee history and culture. The push to include Haudenosaunee men’s and women’s teams at the Olympics is about regaining a sense of ownership, and is an important expression of sovereignty.
Julia Ross, How this Indigenous-owned café bistro combines traditional food with modern ways, APTN News
In this piece, Julia Ross explores how combining traditional Indigenous cuisine and modern culinary applications is part of how culture and heritage are passed on at an Indigenous-owned restaurant in Winnipeg. Feast-owner Christa Guenther explains how the restaurant got its start, and the important place it holds in the city’s and country’s food landscapes.
Related stories:
