APTN News InFocus

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores why food insecurity in Nunavut has hit a breaking point. In a territory where climate change and inflation are making food more expensive and harder to access, many families struggle to put healthy meals on the table. For some, even country foods like seal and caribou are out of reach. A pediatrician working in the community says Nunavut’s crisis is the worst she’s seen. In 2022, Statistics Canada reported that 79 per cent of children under 14 in the territory lived in food-insecure households. APTN News correspondent Jesse Staniforth recently published an in-depth article on the issue. With demand at Iqaluit’s food centre expected to hit 70,000 meals this year, Cierra talks with Jesse about what’s happening and what needs to change. • • • 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/

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at a new law in Nova Scotia that could threaten Mi’kmaq treaty rights. Land protectors at Hunters Mountain in Unama’ki have prevented logging and construction for more than a month. But the Protecting Nova Scotians Act could give the province power to remove their checkpoint and jail those who refuse to leave. APTN video journalist Angel Moore shares what she’s seen on the ground and Veldon Coburn joins to explore how laws like this, along with Bill C-5 and Ontario’s Bill 5, are raising concerns about the future of Indigenous rights across the country. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines the growing threat of residential school denialism in Canada. Once confined to the internet’s fringes, denialism has entered the mainstream with public speeches, book deals and online followings that continue to grow. Some deny the racist and genocidal legacy of residential schools, others call unmarked grave findings a hoax. Survivors like Jennifer Wood say denialism is nothing new, it’s something they’ve lived with for decades. But a new generation is pushing back. Benjamin Kucher, a Métis archaeology graduate student at the University of Alberta, is one of the them speaking out. Alongside Métis activist Tracey Leost, he’s calling on Ottawa to treat residential school denialism as hate speech and take concrete steps to stop its spread. Kucher joins us to talk about their calls to action and why confronting denialism is critical to reconciliation. • • • 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/

As summer winds down - hosts, producers and reporters at APTN News are ramping up. On this edition of APTN News InFocus, we get a first look at what’s coming up this season from three of our award-winning shows: Face to Face, Investigates and Nation to Nation. Face to Face Host Dennis Ward joins us to talk about the upcoming 300-episode milestone and what he’s got planned for the season opener on Sept. 30. Then, APTN Investigates producer Cullen Crozier gives us a preview of the show’s 17th season. The team is back with hard-hitting stories across the country. And in Ottawa, long time journalist Karyn Pugliese takes the helm of Nation to Nation. She shares what it's like to be just blocks from Parliament Hill and how she’ll be covering the political landscape. From truth-seeking journalism to political deep dives, this season of current affairs shows is one to look forward to. • • • 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/

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores one Red River Métis family’s mission to help save the Michif language. Grant, Ben and Aynsley Anderson are the creators of Save Michif, a project developed through funding from Heritage Canada and the Manitoba Métis Federation. The father, son and daughter trio from Manitoba are using digital tools and Elder-led recordings to help revitalize their ancestral tongue. Michif, which blends French nouns with Cree verbs and structure, has just a handful of fluent speakers left. Among them is Elder Norman Fleury, who lends his voice to the Andersons’ flashcard sets and learning materials. Grant and Ben Anderson join us to talk about the urgency of language preservation and how they’re working to ensure future generations can carry Michif forward. • • • 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/

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at the record number of Indigenous films featured at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, also known as TIFF. Among the eight Indigenous films premiering this year is Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising, a documentary from Shane Belcourt and Tanya Talaga on the 1974 occupation of Anicinabe Park. Also featured is Nika and Madison, by Walpole Island First Nation director Eva Thomas, which follows two estranged friends brought back together by a police encounter. All eight films are supported by the Indigenous Screen Office’s Story Fund, which invested $3.5 million to bring Indigenous stories to the screen this year. Melanie Nepinak Hadley, the ISO’s vice-president of industry partnerships and growth, joins us to talk about how the film festival landscape has evolved to welcome more Indigenous voices. Courtesy: Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising Trailer OV NIKA & MADISON Clip | TIFF 2025 • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, guest host Jesse Andrushko speaks with Ottawa correspondent Karyn Pugliese about what came out of the Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly in Winnipeg. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak opened the gathering with concerns about the One Canadian Economy Act, the law Ottawa says will fast-track projects in the national interest. Chiefs also debated child welfare, with Chief Pauline Frost speaking on behalf of the National Children’s Chiefs’ Commission. And Chief Mark Arcand shared a personal story during discussions on the opioid crisis. Karyn breaks down what happened at the meeting and whether chiefs are any clearer on how to respond to Ottawa. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens continues her conversation with veteran journalist and outgoing APTN web reporter Kathleen Martens. With more than 35 years in the industry, Kathleen reflects on the lessons she’s learned like what it takes to build trust with sources and adapt in a fast-changing media landscape. She also shares insights for emerging journalists navigating the profession, and what she hopes for the future of Indigenous-focused news coverage. Read more of Kathleen’s reporting at http://aptnnews.ca/ and find the Our Relatives podcast here: https://aptnnews.ca/ourrelatives • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens sits down with veteran journalist and APTN web reporter Kathleen Martens. When Kathleen joined APTN 15 years ago as a writer and researcher, she already had two decades of newsroom experience. But as a non-Indigenous journalist working for an Indigenous news outlet, she says the role reshaped her understanding of truth, trust and storytelling. From courtrooms to bus shacks, Kathleen has interviewed thousands of people, reported on the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people and exposed predatory lawyers targeting residential school survivors. In 2023, she created Our Relatives, a podcast sharing the stories of people experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg. As she heads into retirement, Kathleen reflects on her 35-year career and the changes she’s witnessed in the industry. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens takes a closer look at the wildfires reshaping summers across the country. For the four Island Lake First Nations in northern Manitoba, 2025 has been a season of evacuations, loss and displacement. Anisininew Okimawin Grand Chief Alex McDougall joins us from Garden Hill First Nation to share how fires have uprooted communities and why leaders are calling for a national fire strategy that includes Indigenous voices at the table. With thousands forced from their homes and experts warning that climate change will only make fire seasons longer and more destructive, we explore how Canada can shift its focus from emergency response to prevention and preparedness. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens takes you behind the scenes of APTN’s exclusive interview with Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney recently joined hundreds of First Nations leaders in Gatineau, Que., for a summit on Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act. The new law promises to fast-track development projects, but critics warn it could sideline Indigenous rights and environmental protections. APTN National News Host Dennis Ward travelled to Carney’s hometown of Fort Smith, N.W.T., to speak with the prime minister about the bill and his commitments to Indigenous Peoples. Ward joins us from our Winnipeg studio to explain how it all went down. Catch the full interview here. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens sits down with Dylan Cloud, a former APTN News intern and recent media grad, to talk about his healing journey and growth as a storyteller. Cloud, who joins us from Long Plain First Nation, shares how he went from incarceration and addiction to sobriety, reconnecting with his culture, enrolling in college and building a future for himself and his children. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens is joined by Mohawk activist, artist and filmmaker Ellen Gabriel. During the 1990 siege at Kanehsatà:ke, Gabriel was chosen by the People of the Longhouse to speak for the community during a 78-day standoff with the Canadian military. Thirty-five years later she continues to speak out, not only for her own people, but for others facing colonization and occupation. She now focuses part of her advocacy on Gaza, where she sees parallels in the violence, displacement and media narratives. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens digs into the growing push from provinces to fast-track major infrastructure projects, even if it means sidelining environmental protections and Indigenous rights. Ontario and Alberta have signed a new agreement aimed at building more pipelines and rail lines, calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to scrap legislation they say stands in the way. APTN’s Leanne Sanders, who first reported the story, joins us to break down what’s at stake as provinces push for rapid development. While governments work to reshape the country’s infrastructure, another story highlights what’s possible when Indigenous Peoples lead the way. July 9 is Nunavut Day, a day to honour the signing of the Nunavut. This year marks 32 years since that historic moment. APTN’s Creeson Agecoutay speaks with Nunavut MP Lori Idlout to reflect on its legacy and what lies ahead. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens revisits Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which became law on June 26. The legislation promises to remove interprovincial trade barriers and fast-track development projects deemed to be in the national interest. But critics say that promise comes at a steep cost. Indigenous leaders across the country have raised serious concerns that Bill C-5 could sideline treaty rights and pave the way for environmentally destructive projects. While Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to hold summits with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders, sources say no formal invites have been issued. APTN’s Parliament Hill reporter Karyn Pugliese joins us to unpack what the new law means for Indigenous communities and how Ottawa is, or isn’t, following through on its promises. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, guest host Mark Blackburn looks at what it means to live in the shadow of heavy industry. Factories and refineries are a familiar sight along roads and highways. They make the products we use every day. But for people living nearby, they are more than just part of the view. In places known as ‘sacrifice zones’, chemical leaks, strong odours and long-term health risks are part of daily life. Journalists Angela Belleau and Tom Fennario join the show to talk about their new APTN Investigates documentary, Sacrifice Zones. They explain the link between microplastics and industrial pollution, and share what they learned from communities like Aamjiwnaang First Nation and Kahnawake. We ask what’s being done to protect people who live near industry and what happens if nothing changes. Watch the full APTN Investigates episode here: https://youtu.be/QeNaT2GMpTM • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at what’s at stake for Indigenous communities as governments across Canada move to accelerate energy and resource projects. In Nova Scotia a ban on uranium mining and fracking has been reversed. Quebec is proposing changes that could make it easier for companies to clear-cut forests. Manitoba is talking about a pipeline and Ontario’s Bill 5 aims to create ‘special economic zones’ for development in the Ring of Fire. At the federal level Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, proposes a powerful new office to select projects of national interest. Karyn Pugliese covers Parliament Hill for APTN News online and explains what it all means. We also hear from Sol Mamakwa, Ontario NDP deputy leader, who shares his concerns about the province’s Bill 5 and what it could mean for Indigenous Peoples. • • • 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/

Tattoos can be badges of pride or painful reminders of the past. For some, especially those impacted by gangs, incarceration or violence, their body art tells a story they no longer want to carry. APTN’s Tamara Pimentel joins Cierra Bettens this week on APTN News InFocus to share the story behind Skin Deep, an APTN Investigates episode that looks at Mother Ink, a Winnipeg-based tattoo removal service helping people erase ink tied to trauma. Tamara talks about what she learned, the people she met and what tattoo removal can mean for reclaiming your story. Watch Skin-Deep here: https://youtu.be/yvvnuSJ3J4M?si=4KPzIyAd4HUHR1MJ This episode was produced by Mark Blackburn and edited by Jesse Andrushko. Charmaine Straker is the executive producer of APTN News InFocus. If you’re enjoying the show, let us know my leaving a rating and review. If you have any comments or ideas, email us at infocus@aptn.ca • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, we’re celebrating a milestone: 25 years of APTN News. From mailing tapes to digital transformation and award-winning journalism, APTN has grown into a network of Indigenous reporters telling Indigenous stories on their own terms. Guest host Karyn Pugliese is joined by Dan David, Bruce Spence, Todd Lamirande and Charmaine Straker, some of the key people who helped build APTN News from the ground up. They share stories from the early days, reflect on major reporting moments and talk about how far Indigenous journalism has come and where it needs to go. It’s a look back and a look ahead, as we honour the voices and stories that shaped APTN News. • • • 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/

This week on APTN News InFocus we go to the High Arctic, where climate change, sovereignty and survival intersect. We’re featuring the first episode of The Place That Thaws, a six-part podcast from APTN News and Danielle Paradis, recently nominated for a Canadian Association of Journalists award. Set in Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord, the series shares powerful stories from Inuit adapting to a warming world, where hunting seasons are shrinking and polar bears are staying ashore longer. With Arctic sovereignty back in the spotlight and wildfires sweeping the country, The Place That Thaws is more relevant than ever. Find the full series on your favourite podcast platform or listen here: https://www.aptnnews.ca/ourstories/theplacethatthaws/ • • • 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/