(Ottawa, ON) August 17, 2022 - On this week’s episode of Roots and Hoots, host Gordon Spence is pleased to be joined by Jim Compton. Jim’s career has spanned many decades and his work speaks to the ongoing relevance and importance of sharing the stories of Indigenous Peoples across Canada. Some of his notable acclaims include winning two Human Rights Awards for his documentary specials – Indian Policing et The Peguis Land Surrender of 1911, and a Gemini for his two-part series, Sniff. He also won a Gemini award for Drums, a two-hour prime time special exploring Indigenous issues across Canada in 1992. Jim is a founder of APTN and brought the network to Winnipeg in 1999. Jim continues in his pursuit of story-telling, to amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples across the country so that their spirit, their struggles, their hopes and accomplishments can be known and honoured.

Jim lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba and is a member of Keeseekoose First Nation. In this episode, Jim and Gordon sit down to discuss Jim’s career trajectory and his desire from a young age to make documentaries. From his beginnings in journalism with Central City People, Jim shares with us the road that led him to CBC and his career as a trailblazer, becoming one of the first Indigenous broadcasters. Jim talks about the political climate in the early 1990’s and how the Oka crisis signaled a time when the country started to look more closely at the issues affecting Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Jim shares the details behind several of his documentary specials, noting that many stories shared, such as Indian Policing, are still relevant today.

Jim speaks about the issue of safety and how closely connected this is to seeing the mandate of Reconciliation becoming a lived reality across the country. He says that Indigenous Peoples need to feel safe in their own communities – whether that is in an urban setting, remote or on reserve. Safety, he says, is a foundational element that leads to self-government and self-determination, and a better future for the children. Jim’s work in shining a light on the lived realities of Indigenous Peoples in Canada, is about sharing stories. Stories are endlessly powerful, and through them, people can learn, know and feel a heart-to-heart connection. We are so grateful to Jim for sharing some of his stories with us and for the work he continues to do in sharing the stories and voices of Indigenous Peoples.

To listen to the episode please visit:
Podbean: https://bit.ly/rootsnhoots
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/rnhpodcasts
Spotify: https://bit.ly/rnhspotify

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 21 years. The LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and existing intergenerational impacts of the Residential and Day School Systems and subsequent Sixties Scoop on Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) Survivors, their descendants, and their communities to promote hope and healing in Canada. The LHF works to encourage people to address discrimination and injustice in order to contribute to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples and to foster Reconciliation.

La FAE dispose de plus de 25 expositions accessibles au public et travaille à rendre ses autres expositions disponibles en ligne. La Fondation possède également des programmes d'enseignement de la maternelle à la 12e année et pour les adultes, ainsi que des guides d'activités visant à sensibiliser les Canadiens à l'histoire autochtone et à l'histoire commune des pensionnats et des externats, de la Rafle des années 60, etc. La FAE travaille à développer l'empathie et la compréhension afin d'éliminer le racisme à l’égard des peuples autochtones.