CBC/Radio-Canada has launched its inaugural National Indigenous Strategy with the establishment of a new Indigenous Office within the public broadcaster. The strategy includes a three-year commitment to collaborate closely with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to ensure their narratives, cultures, and languages are accurately and respectfully represented across the broadcaster’s platforms.
The aim is to infuse the principles of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into CBC’s storytelling and content development, including the promotion of Indigenous languages and stories.
Key focus areas of the strategy include enhancing Indigenous representation within all levels of the organization, fostering meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities and creators, and taking actionable steps toward reconciliation. This includes revisiting the broadcaster’s archives for a thorough analysis of historical portrayals of Indigenous Peoples and crafting a content strategy that respects and uplifts Indigenous voices.
The Indigenous Office, led by Senior Director of the National Indigenous Strategy Robert Doane, will oversee the strategy’s implementation and act as a liaison to ensure continuous dialogue and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples.
Doane remarked, “I’m thrilled to see the launch of this first-ever National Indigenous Strategy. It’s the culmination of years of work and engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis from coast to coast to coast. And it’s more than words on a page — it’s a vibrant promise of ongoing, two-way engagement with Indigenous Peoples. It’s an invitation and an opportunity for everyone, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to join us on this journey.”
CBC/Radio-Canada President and CEO Catherine Tait commented, “This strategy provides an important framework to measure our commitment to amplifying the voices of Indigenous creators and communities, as well as our own employees and leaders at CBC/Radio-Canada. While the public broadcaster cannot right the wrongs of the past, this strategy provides us a roadmap for greater learning, collaboration and understanding for the future.”
