APTN News InFocus

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines British Columbia's plan to suspend parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).

Premier of British Columbia David Eby outlined his plan during a meeting between leaders, according to the Canadian Press.

Robert Phillips of the First Nations Summit joins the show to discuss what was said and what changes are being considered.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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On this episode of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines the RCMP's decades-long surveillance of Indigenous Peoples.

A CBC Investigates report reveals how the Native Extremism Program infiltrated Indigenous organizations and monitored leaders like George Manuel.

Journalist Brett Forester joins the show to break down the investigation and what the findings reveal about state surveillance.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

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On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens takes listeners inside a weekly APTN broadcast and the team bringing stories to French-speaking audiences across the country.

APTN Nouvelles nationales Host Kim Sullivan shares the vision behind creating space for Indigenous stories in French and why language matters.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

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Protests are a familiar sight across the country and journalists are often there documenting what unfolds. But what happens when police ignore their credentials?

On this episode of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines growing concerns around press freedom in Canada. Photojournalist Amber Bracken shares her arrest on Wet'suwet'en territory while covering an RCMP raid.

The episode also features Indigenous journalist Brandi Morin, who reflects on reporting from the front lines and the risks journalists face.

Sonya Fatah of the Canada Press Freedom Project breaks down national trends, while independent journalist Rachel Gilmore speaks about harassment and threats tied to her reporting.

From reporting on the ground to backlash online, we're taking a look at the state of press freedom today in Canada.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

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On Feb. 26, APTN News hosted a panel examining Métis identity and the ongoing controversy surrounding the Métis Nation of Ontario. The discussion also explored modern treaties and self-government agreements.

Host Dennis Ward was joined in studio by Scott McLeod, Lake Huron regional chief for the Anishinabek Nation, Celeste Pedri-Spade, an associate professor at McGill University and Will Goodon, minister of identity protection and inter-Indigenous relations with the Manitoba Metis Federation.

On this episode of APTN News InFocus, we bring you that full panel discussion.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

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Every winter, the Canadian Armed Forces runs Operation Nanook-Nunalivut, a military training exercise focused on Arctic defence.

This year's operation was the largest to date. Up to 1,300 members were deployed across Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, alongside allies from the United States, Belgium, France and Denmark.

The exercise has been running for nearly 20 years. But with rising geopolitical tensions, it is taking on new meaning.

APTN video journalist Charlotte Morrit-Jacobs travelled to the training camp in Edzo, about 100 kilometres west of Yellowknife, for a two-part report from the ground.

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens speaks with Morrit-Jacobs about what she saw at Operation Nanook and how the Canadian Armed Forces are preparing for the North.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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Canada is wrapping up its Indian Day School digitization project.

Since 2022, Library and Archives Canada has digitized more than six million records from 699 Indian day schools that operated between the 1860s and 2000. An estimated 200,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children attended.

On this edition of APTN News InFocus host Cierra Bettens speaks with Beth Greenhorn, a manager with the Day School Project, about how the records were digitized and how they may support survivors. Jackson Pind, author of Students by Day and a professor at Trent University, also joins the podcast to discuss the importance of the project and share what kind of stories the records tell.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

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APTN Investigates is going behind the scenes of its latest documentary, War on the Land.

Reported by APTN Investigates journalist Kenneth Jackson, the story focuses on a former explosives plant in Nobel, Ont., about 250 kilometres north of Toronto. The factory helped supply two world wars. But decades after closing in 1985, contamination concerns remain.

Shawanaga First Nation is now calling on the prime minister to ensure the site is cleaned up.

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens speaks with Jackson about how he uncovered the story and whether the land can ever be reclaimed.

War on the Land is available now at aptnnews.ca.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

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British Columbia has ended its drug decriminalization pilot program.

Launched in January 2023, the exemption allowed adults to carry small amounts of certain illicit drugs in an effort to reduce stigma and address the toxic drug crisis. But on Jan. 31, the province let the pilot expire, saying it did not deliver the results hoped for.

The move has sparked mixed reaction. Some, including Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, call it a setback for harm reduction. Others, like Haisla Nation member and outreach worker James Harry, say the crisis on the ground has only worsened.

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens speaks with Vancouver-based video journalist Tina House and Harry about what led to the decision and what it means for communities moving forward.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

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Indigenous activism has long shaped Minneapolis.

In 1968, the American Indian Movement was founded there, marking a turning point in the fight for Indigenous rights.

More than 50 years later, AIM members are back on the streets, responding to fears of racial profiling and unlawful detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE.

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores how Minneapolis' history of Indigenous activism connects to today's Native-led response to ICE.

She is joined by Heather Bruegl, a public historian, activist and a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.

Clip courtesy Minnesota Historical Society | Storied 1968: American Indian Movement – Find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLh3gw0kVhQ

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/