Recommendations for a New Consultation Process and Policy for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Broadcasting

Abstract

This report reflects the discussions and presentations that took place at the Future of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Broadcasting: Conversation and Convergence gatherings from February to June, 2017. The gatherings aimed to bring practitioners, policy makers and academics together as allies to prepare a context for respectful and meaningful consultation. The idea was to create or identify the terms of reference for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) review the Native Broadcasting Policy1 (CRTC 1990-89), which according to its Three-Year Plan 2017-2020 was set to occur in 2018. The goal was to encourage deliberations before the CRTC initiated any procedure to ensure that any policy changes would support the development goals identified by Indigenous media activists, broadcasters, and community members. These gatherings aimed to share decision making power with the people, and to assert Indigenous rights to media democracy 'for as long as the waters flow,’ as well as to propose changes to the existing Policy. All participants are considered as authors of this report, as the people who have contributed the ideas and solutions therein. It is an exercise some members, such as Les Carpenter speaking at the Ottawa gathering (Native Communications Society of the NWT), believe should happen more frequently: “When you don't get together, you don't get to exchange ideas and talk over issues ... So, something like this should be organized ... at least once a year we should try to get together.” It is also in line with Indigenous values to attribute authorship to all people who have contributed their time, knowledge, ideas, stories and overall support to produce this work as it, ultimately, belongs to all of them. As part of this process, participants were asked for feedback on the report before it was made public.