Infocus

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.c

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 po

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 podcast

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

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/

This week on APTN News InFocus, guest host Kathleen Martens looks at treaty rights and the Alberta separatist movement. Matthew Wildcat, an assistant professor and director of Indigenous governance in the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta, explains why treaty rights could block Alberta’s push to leave Canada. He unpacks the province’s Sovereignty Act, Bill 54 and what it means for First Nations. We also hear from Gina Starblanket, associate professor at the University of Victoria and a member of the Star Blanket Cree Nation. She weighs in on how separation challenges treaty law and what history can teach us. • • • 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 looking ahead to wildfire season and asking if our communities are any better prepared than in years past. Wildfires are already burning. Forests are going up in flames. People are being forced from their homes. Guest host Leanne Sanders sits down with Arnold Lazare, interim executive director of the Indigenous Fire Safety Council. He joins us from Kahnawake to talk about what’s working and what isn’t. We also hear from Michelle Vandevord, director of Saskatchewan First Nation Emergency Management. She says most communities are ready, but weather remains the wildcard. • • • 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 look behind the scenes of debunking a police investigation. In 2015, Matty Fairman and Tyler Maracle from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory were found dead in the Bay of Quinte. Police said the men drowned after stealing fish and overloading their boat. Their families never believed it. Now, neither does APTN Investigates reporter Kenneth Jackson. In the fourth chapter of his series Secrets of the Bay, Jackson challenges the police version of events with a boat that refuses to sink. Guest host Karyn Pugliese sits down with Jackson to talk about how the story unfolded. • • • 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 break down the results of the April 28 federal election. The Liberals remain in power and the Conservatives will form the official opposition. The Bloc Québécois lost seats and the NDP dropped to just seven—losing official party status in the process. Twelve First Nations, Inuit and Métis candidates were elected across party lines. One of them is Mi’kmaw Liberal MP Jaime Battiste, now the most senior Indigenous member in the party. He speaks with APTN National News host Dennis Ward about what’s next. We also take a closer look at what the NDP’s losses could mean for Indigenous issues in Parliament. Political scientist Paul Thomas joins us to talk about what’s at stake. • • • 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 checks in as the federal election campaign hits its final stretch. For more than a month, party leaders have been making promises about prosperity, wealth and good governance—but what’s in it for Indigenous Peoples? Dennis Ward, host of APTN National News, and Jennifer Laewetz, political commentator and panelist on APTN’s Truth and Politics panel, return to weigh in. We also head to Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario. Our Parliament Hill correspondent Karyn Pugliese brings us a story about the community’s concerns—and what federal promises mean on the ground. Recorded Tuesday, April 22, 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 InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores the growing movement for Indigenous data sovereignty. In a TED Talk, British investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr warns we may already be “living inside the architecture of totalitarianism,” referring to the predatory ways big tech companies harvest, use and sell data. Data holds a lot. It holds stories, histories, languages — all the information that defines who we are and where we come from. It’s also a resource — and like other resources, it can be exploited by corporate and colonial interests. To unpack what Indigenous data sovereignty means and how it’s being put into action, Cierra is joined by Jeff Ward, founder and CEO of Animikii. His Indigenous tech company has launched Niiwin, a platform designed to help communities manage and protect their data on their own terms. • • • 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 unpacks the latest controversy over Métis identity in Ontario. The Métis National Council released a report suggesting the existence of seven historic Métis communities in the province—a claim swiftly rejected by the Manitoba Métis Federation, Métis Nation–Saskatchewan, Métis Nation British Columbia and the Chiefs of Ontario. To make sense of the report, Cierra is joined by Jean Teillet, a retired Métis lawyer, author and the great-grandniece of Louis Riel. • • • 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 InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores what Arctic sovereignty really means for Inuit in the North. As federal leaders call for more military infrastructure - from bases in Iqaluit to new fleets of fighter jets - questions are being raised about who these efforts protect, and at what cost. Journalist David Pugliese from the Ottawa Citizen joins Bettens to break down Canada’s defence strategy and what’s driving the push for control in the region. Also, former APTN reporter Danielle Paradis reflects on her 2023 podcast The Place That Thaws, which revisits the forced relocation of Inuit in the 1950s—an earlier attempt by Canada to assert sovereignty. • • • 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/