NationTalk: Ohsweken, ON – Twelve outstanding Indigenous achievers from a diverse list of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities will be honoured during the broadcast of the 2024 Indspire Awards on Friday, June 21, 2024, at 7:00 pm ET (7:30 pm NT) on CBC, CBC Gem, APTN, and APTN lumi.

The Indspire Awards represent the highest honour the Indigenous community bestows upon its own people. The Awards recognize Indigenous professionals and youth who demonstrate outstanding career achievement on a national level in a variety of fields, including: the arts; business and commerce; culture, heritage and spirituality; education; health; law and justice; public service; sports; and lifetime achievement. Three Youth Award winners are also being honoured for their accomplishments, serving as role models to other First Nations, Inuit, and Métis youth across Turtle Island.

2024 also marks the presentation of the very first Language Award, a significant moment for Indspire as well as for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.

The recipients of the 2024 Indspire Awards are:

• Youth Recipient – Adam Gauthier
• Youth Recipient – Braden Kadlun
• Youth Recipient – Dr. Jayelle Friesen-Enns
• Arts – Eden Robinson
• Business & Commerce – Victoria LaBillois
• Culture, Heritage & Spirituality – Edna Manitowabi
• Education – Kanonhsyonne Jan Hill
• Health – Lea Bill
• Language – Ronald Eric Ignace
• Law & Justice – Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin
• Public Service – Jocelyn Formsma
• Lifetime Achievement – Thomas V. Hill

For full bios on each of the recipients, please visit https://indspire.ca/events/indspire-awards/laureates/

“Recognizing and celebrating Indigenous excellence is a collaborative endeavour,” said Indspire president and CEO Mike DeGagné. “This year, as we extend our celebration into new channels with a new format, we are looking forward to sharing the outstanding achievements of these twelve Indigenous leaders with even more people across Turtle Island – a moment which wouldn’t have been possible without the combined assistance of new and established partners.”

The 2024 Indspire Laureates received their Awards during an in-person gala ceremony on April 18, 2024, in Ottawa, ON. This year’s show was produced by Indigenous Geographic, helmed by co-founders Matt LeMay and Crystal Martin. Indigenous Geographic is an Indigenous-owned video production company and educational platform that amplifies Indigenous voices and shares Indigenous stories from across Turtle Island and around the world.

Focusing on each recipient’s story with innovative new elements serving as a culturally-rooted framework, the 2024 Indspire Awards broadcast will be a simultaneous celebration of tradition and Indigenous excellence.

“Working with Indspire to showcase the lives and achievements of the 2024 Laureates has been a profoundly moving experience, and our whole team welcomed this inspiring project,” said LeMay. Martin added, “We are grateful to all of the Laureates who invited us into their homes and communities to share their stories, and we’re looking forward to sharing them with Turtle Island.”

“We’re excited about the new approach Indspire has taken this year, from the addition of the Language Award to the incorporation of traditional knowledge and storytelling in the awards program,” said Sally Catto, General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports, CBC. “We look forward to celebrating the achievements of this year’s laureates on June 21 along with our partners at the Indspire Awards, APTN, our new production partners at Indigenous Geographic, and with audiences across the country.”

“At APTN, our commitment goes beyond partnership; it’s about amplifying Indigenous voices through our platform,” said Adam Garnet Jones of APTN. “Airing the 2024 Indspire Awards allows us to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary accomplishments of these Indigenous leaders, celebrating their resilience, and inspiring communities across the country.”

Indspire gratefully acknowledges the support of the following sponsors and partners:

• Lead Partner: Government of Canada
• Major Sponsors: Shell Canada Limited and Suncor Energy Inc.
• Youth Laureate Sponsor: Barry and Laurie Green Family Trust
• Founding Partner and Official Airline: Air Canada
• Dinner Sponsor: Teck
• Laureate Reception Sponsor: Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel
• Pre-Dinner Reception Sponsor: EY Canada
• Host City Sponsor: Giant Tiger
• Participating Sponsors: BHP, Cenovus, LNG Canada
• Culinary Sponsor: Imperial
• Supporting Sponsors: Deloitte, Ontario Power Generation, Rio Tinto, and Scotiabank

The 2024 Indspire Awards will broadcast on National Indigenous Peoples Day on APTN and CBC on June 21 at 7:00 pm ET (7:30 pm NT). It will also be available for on-demand streaming on CBC’s YouTube channel.

About Indspire

Indspire is an Indigenous national charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire provides financial awards, delivers programs and shares resources so that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students will achieve their highest potential. In 2022-2023, Indspire provided more than $27.5 million through 7,500 bursaries and scholarships to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

About APTN

APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world. Since then, the network has become a global leader in programming that celebrates the rich diversity of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island and beyond. A respected non-profit and charitable broadcaster, APTN shares authentic stories in English, French and a variety of Indigenous languages with over nine million Canadian households. APTN proudly features over 80% Canadian content and inspires audiences via multiple platforms, including its Indigenous-focused streaming service, APTN lumi.

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For media interviews, photos of recipients and more information, please contact:

Brandon Meawasige
Vice-President, Communications and Marketing, Indspire
bmeawasige@indspire.ca
1-855-463-7747 x 2350

Simon Bassett
CBC PR
simon.bassett@cbc.ca

Joëlle Saltel
Manager of Communications, APTN
jsaltel@aptn.ca
(431) 557-9909