Reconsidering Canadian Journalism: Care, Patience and Consent in Indigenous Storytelling
Written by Cole Buhler
We need to talk about extractive journalism.
As a model of theft and exploitation, extractive journalism prioritizes sensationalism rather than the story of the people involved. It’s an unethical, violent practice that undermines Indigenous communities. For many years, legacy outlets, regardless of political leaning, figured they could drop in on communities, turn a traumatized Elder into a quote generator and get out with a big story to air in time for dinner.
In a modern sense, we still see it: whether it was media coverage of the defence of Wet’suwet’en Territory in 2020 or the remains of 215 children found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in 2021.
But let’s rewind a bit …
In 1993, the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) submitted remarks to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples about Canadian media, stating “the country’s large newspapers, TV and radio news shows often contain misinformation, sweeping generalizations and galling stereotypes about Natives and Native affairs … The result is that most Canadians have little real knowledge of the country’s Native peoples or the issues that affect them.”
Stemming from the Kanesatà:ke Resistance (Oka Crisis) in 1990 — and the public’s inability to understand Indigenous sovereignty — it’s simple to understand how the CAJ came to this conclusion. Canada’s non-Indigenous public had very little knowledge about our communities — instead, relying on extractive journalism for decades.
A Different Approach
At pipikwan pêhtâkwan, we advocate for a different path — a trauma-informed approach to journalism, rooted in building and maintaining relationships. We recognize many interviewees, particularly Survivors, carry deep emotional and psychological wounds. Rather than prioritizing pain for soundbites, we’ve encouraged journalists for years to approach storytelling with care, patience and consent. It’s a process rooted in trust, accountability and authentic engagement — including a research methodology developed by Dr. Cindy Gaudet, that originates from a Cree Way of Knowing and Being called keeoukaywin or ‘The Visiting Way’.
This shift in thinking is important on Turtle Island, where the history of colonialism and the residential school system has challenged legacy media to reconsider how it operates. As we move forward, into a world of large language models and generative AI, we must think more relationally — more collaboratively; more reciprocally.
We ask our partners and friends to reconsider journalism as a people-first approach and acknowledge that journalism itself has a long history of propping up colonial structures, shaping harmful narratives and reinforcing media illiteracy.
So how do we fix it?
From a Reconciliation standpoint, news coverage must include Indigenous voices and frame communities through strength-based language, stories that emphasize the successes and gifts of Indigenous Peoples. Moving forward requires not only better storytelling, but also a willingness to confront history and change journalism practices.
Rest assured, relational journalism does not mean abandoning independent thought or critical storytelling. Rather, it strengthens journalism by making it more accurate, inclusive and accountable. Stories produced through relationships with Indigenous Peoples are more reflective of our lived experiences, rather than reinforcing stereotypes extracted from the 90’s.
It’s a shift legacy media must take seriously, because building relationships takes time. We know newsrooms operate under tight deadlines and limited resources, but we also understand they’ve run out of time. Declining public trust, sensationalist stories and demonstrable harm to our communities are contributing towards the collapse of journalism.
Ultimately, if you want to move away from extractive storytelling, we’re here to help. The journey starts in the mind — it’s a personal journey just as much as a public one — but we can offer trauma-informed guidance.
Through media training and engagement, pipikwan pêhtâkwan provides opportunities for our partners to change the way they approach journalism. Join us!
