The Honourable Robert Nault, Member of Parliament (Kenora), today announced $285,053 in funding for Sandy Lake First Nation's television documentary series Ni-dibaa-chimo-winun ("Our Stories"). He made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.
The First Nation oversees the Sandy Lake Youth Media Outreach program, which engages multimedia production professionals who work with youth in the community to produce culturally and regionally relevant media content. The group will use the funding to develop and produce season 2 of the documentary series, which features the people, stories and realities of life in their community.
The funding is being provided under the Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting component of the Aboriginal Peoples' Program.
Quotes
"Our government is protecting and supporting Canada's Indigenous languages and cultures. Whether through our Indigenous languages legislation or funding programs, we are taking concrete measures to create opportunities for Indigenous languages to survive and flourish in the communities where they are spoken, by the people who speak them."
-The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism
"The Indigenous communities in northern Ontario are rich with language and culture, and it is important that their stories and realities are shared beyond the area. I am very pleased that our government is making a significant investment in Sandy Lake First Nation to preserve and protect their language and culture."
-The Honourable Robert Nault, Member of Parliament (Kenora)
"We would like to thank Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting and the Government of Canada for encouraging youth in the creative arts media-making disciplines. This project has a positive cultural impact by increasing Indigenous-language content for family audiences."
-Chief Delores Kakegamic, Sandy Lake First Nation
Quick facts
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The Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting component of the Aboriginal Peoples Program supports Indigenous broadcasting societies to produce and distribute radio and television programming in the North. The objectives are to:
- support the production of culturally relevant Indigenous programming;
- facilitate establishment and maintenance of production facilities;
- ensure availability of a significant amount of radio and television programming;
- contribute to the preservation and promotion of Indigenous languages and cultures; and
- provide venues to articulate issues of relevance to Indigenous audiences and communities.
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Applicants must be non-profit, democratically controlled, Indigenous organizations or working with Indigenous organizations that provide broadcast communications north of the 55th parallel ("Hamelin Line").
