UBC Journalism School’s Indigenous Reporting news series released

The UBC Graduate School of Journalism, Reporting in Indigenous Communities cohort

April 24, 2014 – The UBC Journalism School’s Reporting in Indigenous Communities course recently finished this year’s news series, Smən’e:m: Stories of Youth. The stories can be found on the Indigenous Reporting and CBC News Aboriginal websites.

The course, which is offered through the UBC Graduate School of Journalism, is the only journalism course in Canada to focus exclusively on Aboriginal news stories.

This year, under the guidance of award-winning CBC-TV journalist Duncan McCue, twelve students produced reports on youth in Indigenous communities across the Lower Mainland.

Community partners include the Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, Tsawwassen First Nation, Sto:lo Tribal Council, Sto:lo Nation, and the Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Council. Media partners are CBC Vancouver and CBC Aboriginal.

The student’s stories were featured in a weeklong series of Indigenous youth stories in April 2014 on CBC Radio One’s The Early Edition and CBC Aboriginal online.

Smən’e:m, which translates literally to “children and other junior relatives” in the Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language, was chosen as the title of the project, and serves as a reminder that, in the Salish worldview, all generations are connected.

‘A Portrait of Indigenous Cultural Learning’
Photo by Jeffrey Nicholls

The #indigenouseyes photo contest, also a part of the series, captured ‘the youthful spirit’ of Indigenous communities. 
Hundreds of photos were submitted to CBC News BC by youths under the age of 25.

Jeffrey Nicholls, a 21-year-old Tsimshian from Prince Rupert, submitted the winning photograph. The photo, titled ‘A Portrait of Indigenous Cultural Learning’ was selected by contest judges Inez Jasper, and the CBC’s Duncan McCue and Mark Forsythe.

Some of the photo entries can be viewed on the Indigenous Reporting website.

Duncan McCue also developed the helpful online guide to Reporting in Indigenous Communities, which assists journalists and journalism students with ideas and practical methods for finding and developing news stories in Indigenous communities.

Top photo source: Reporting in Indigenous Communities
Bottom photo source: CBC BC