Communication rights for Indigenous People: A call to action

The statement by Cree Elder Doreen Spence calls for the restoration of communication rights for Indigenous Peoples in Canada, emphasizing the role of media accountability, church involvement in reconciliation, and the importance of oral history in countering the legacy of colonial genocide and assimilation.

• Climate change and extreme weather events, including fires, flooding, and tornadoes, have caused devastation and isolation in Indigenous communities, disrupting essential transportation, goods, and food sources.
• The author asserts that Indigenous Peoples in Canada continue to experience marginalization and 'third world conditions' despite living in a developed country, noting a disparity in the humanitarian support provided to immigrants compared to Indigenous Peoples.
• The legacy of colonization and the residential school system involved deliberate censorship and the covering up of truths, exemplified by the discovery of over 1,000 graves of Indigenous children, including 215 at the Kamloops Indian Residential school.
• The author calls on churches to follow the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Call to Action 59 by learning about their role in colonization and residential schools to facilitate healing and reconciliation.
• Mainstream media is criticized for infringing on fundamental human rights by perpetuating stereotypes, ignoring Indigenous issues, and failing to provide positive representation or adequate coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
• The document identifies the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the TRC's 94 Calls to Action as essential frameworks for achieving communication and reconciliation.

APA

Spence, D. (2022). Communication rights for Indigenous People: A call to action. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/communication-rights-for-indigenous-people-a-call-to-action/

Chicago

Spence, Doreen. Communication rights for Indigenous People: A call to action. World Association for Christian Communication, 2022. https://waccglobal.org/communication-rights-for-indigenous-people-a-call-to-action/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Spence |first1=Doreen |title=Communication rights for Indigenous People: A call to action |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=18 May 2022 |url=https://waccglobal.org/communication-rights-for-indigenous-people-a-call-to-action/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{spence2022communication, author = {Spence, Doreen}, title = {{Communication rights for Indigenous People: A call to action}}, publisher = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2022}, month = may, url = {https://waccglobal.org/communication-rights-for-indigenous-people-a-call-to-action/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }