Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - June 9, 2024 - Indigenous broadcasters are increasingly using radio stations, podcasts, and programs on the CBC to raise their voices and claim space.

Native Communications Inc (NCI) aims to create Indigenous spaces for radio and other forms of audio broadcasting, as none of the media and pop culture in the north of Manitoba had any Indigenous content before its launch in 1971.

Shayla Oulette Stonechild, a Métis and Nehiyaw Iskwew from Muscowpetung First Nation, aims to amplify the voices of Indigenous women and two-spirit people, helping to heal intergenerational trauma.

Shawn Spruce's program airs on many NPR stations in the U.S., bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences.

Indigenous music has crossed many bridges into the mainstream of Canada's music scene, and audio as a medium carries advantages for raising Indigenous voices. Stonechild believes it's about healing relations both among Indigenous communities and with non-Indigenous people, and is excited about the future of new and younger Indigenous voices becoming part of the conversation.