Toronto Star – Increasing arrests of Indigenous journalists including:

• Karl Dockstader at 1492 Land Back Lane Haudenosaunee occupation regarding a housing development near Caledonia
• Courtney Skye, Yellowhead Institute researcher and Ryerson Fellow arrested as well
• Award-winning journalist Justin Brake was arrested and charged with criminal and civil contempt and criminal mischief while covering a protest at Muskrat Falls in Newfoundland, Four years later all charges were dismissed
• At the Wet’suwet’en protests in BC
  • Jerome Turner, an award winning Gixstan journalist had shotguns and sniper guns aimed at him
  • Amber Bracken, an award-winning photo-journalist was pushed back and warned to stay away
  • Jesse Winter, an award-winning photojournalist was detained by police
• Melissa Cox, American documentary filmmaker, was arrested documenting the conflict nearby on unceded Gitxsan territory

Indigenous voices have been stifled in the media and Canadian society for generations. It’s only been in the last decade or two that our stories have gained any substantive traction with the mainstream. Our people are most often portrayed inaccurately in the media via way of stereotypical nuances and negativity that perpetuates the racism that runs rampant in this country. These portrayals aid in the oppression against Indigenous communities that already deal with appalling statistics and human rights violations.

Sept. 4th marked the 25th anniversary of the Ipperwash tragedy where Dudley George, an unarmed Indigenous man was killed by an OPP sniper. While occupying land promised by the federal government to the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. There were no journalists present when George was killed.

Brent Jolly, the President of the Canadian Association of Journalists, condemned the arrest of Karl Dockstader stating: “The OPP are well aware that journalists have an established constitutional right to be present and cover matters of public interest.,” he said, “Attempting to prevent a properly credentialed journalist from documenting a moment of contentious action is impermissible in a country like Canada. Journalism should never be silenced.”