Carleton University is launching the Certificate in Journalism in Indigenous Communities as a means of combatting the limited access to journalism education.
On Jan. 29, Carleton’s Ojigkwanong Indigenous Student Centre opened its doors to celebrate the certificate’s launch.
The certificate will begin in September 2025 and is a 10-month program that allows Indigenous students to study journalism in their home communities. The certificate is a mix of online synchronous and in-person courses taught by Indigenous instructors with software, technical gear and textbooks provided by the program.
The certificate also has three training intensives which will provide in-person media training for students. The first intensive will be held on Manitoulin Island, Ont. in September.
Duncan McCue, an associate professor in journalism who led the certificate’s creation, told the Charlatan he is “excited” for students to come together in-person both at Carleton and in remote communities.
McCue said seeing more diverse journalism will be the most rewarding part of developing this certificate.
“I hope that there are students who are interested in investigating sexual abuse in their communities, the misappropriation of funds or all kinds of things — those are important roles for reporters,” he said. “But I also hope that there are reporters who want to celebrate the happy things that are going on in their communities.”
The program will offer free tuition to one student annually from the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation and the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, as well as to one student from the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne.
Upon completion the certificate, students will receive a $3,000 financial award and can transfer directly into the second year of Carleton’s bachelor of journalism or arts program to continue their education.
McCue also acknowledged Carleton’s involvement in the certificate launch.
“Carleton is the one university that really put their money where their mouth is,” he said.
McCue said that Allan Thompson, the head of Carleton’s journalism program, has been a champion of the idea since the two first discussed it.
“It’s no small thing to create a new undergraduate certificate, but Carleton has backed the vision.”
The certificate aims to integrate Indigenous ways of teaching and learning into a journalism education. The certificate is a collaboration with First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) and Kenjgewin Teg, two Indigenous-owned post-secondary institutions.
Kenjgewin Teg’s Debbie Debassige and FNTI’s Adam Hopkins are acting as senior academic advisors for the certificate.
Contrasting many Western forms of teaching, Indigenous teaching focuses on students’ physical, mental and spiritual states through the learning process.
There will also be a student success facilitator to help students throughout their academic journeys by providing support through any challenges they may face in their personal lives.
Carleton president Wisdom Tettey, who spoke at the launch event, said including the voices of Indigenous youth is integral for the future of journalism.
“This certificate gives our future journalists a chance to tell their stories from their perspectives and experiences, and allows us to be enriched by the opportunity to get together and learn from them,” Tettey said at the event.
Jennifer Brennan, the senior director of Canada programs at the Mastercard Foundation, announced that the Mastercard Foundation is investing $3.2 million in the certificate to support change-making in journalism.
“We believe that Indigenous youth are the agents of change and transformation for their communities and for this country,” she said. “This program will enable them to tell those stories of change and transformation, and it will propel new voices telling new stories from new perspectives.”
The Inspirit Foundation, which funds organizations and projects that create unity by promoting diversity, also awarded the program a $50,000 grant.
“We’re living in an age of disinformation and exceptional polarization. The antidote to that is belonging,” said Sadia Zaman, Inspirit’s CEO.
“In this polarized age, trust lives at the local level and whatever is close to the community is what we trust,” she said at the event. “The storytellers who live in close proximity to us have the greatest chance of getting that right.”
Featured image by Jaidyn Gonsalves/The Charlatan.
