AJAs 2017 Finalists
Attachments
| Slug/Label | innu-children |
|---|---|
| Date Aired or Published | Nov. 7, 2024 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | The Independent |
| Name of Program: | NA |
| If co-produced, list partner: | NA |
| Location: | Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation |
| List awards, grants: | NA |
| Running time (TV/Radio): | NA |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: My editor, Justin Brake, and I participated in Spotlight: Child Welfare, a national journalistic collaboration aimed at shedding light on the experiences of people affected by Canada’s Indigenous child welfare system. We traveled to Sheshatshiu in Labrador to cover the Inquiry into the Treatment, Experiences and Outcomes of Innu in the Child Protection System. The Spotlight committee partially funded the trip with a $3,000 contribution, which helped cover air travel to Labrador, a rental vehicle and five evenings of accommodations. While in Sheshatshiu, a speaker at the inquiry tipped us off about a protest the following day where Innu would demand the immediate return of Innu children in state custody outside of their community. The Independent was the only media outlet to cover the protest. Immediately after, the Innu parents and foster parents who participated in the protest were spontaneously invited into a roundtable room in one of the nearby Innu government buildings. When we realized what was happening we entered the building and identified ourselves as reporters with The Independent. An Innu worker entered the roundtable room, where Innu parents, CFS workers with the province, and representatives from the Innu Roundtable Secretariat, were already in conversation. The Innu worker returned and told us we were being welcomed into the room, where raw, honest and painful stories and perspectives were being shared. We did not make our presence felt and sat in chairs against the wall, outside of the circle in order to respect the space we had been welcomed into. We published the article, ‘Bring Our Innu Children Home!’ just hours after the event. Following the coverage, many of the protesters reached out, now more willing to share their personal stories and experiences with the province's CFS system, as well as their interactions with various government institutions. This article became part of a series of articles that amplified the voices of youth and families, telling their harrowing stories of navigating the child welfare system. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: I devoted a week to newsgathering in Labrador and produced this story while in the midst of gathering for the longer feature story we eventually published as part of the project that helped get us to the remote region. |
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