Formerly NAJA, Indigenous Journalists Association changes its name at Winnipeg celebrations

A group representing First Nations, Métis and Inuit and Native American journalists in North America recently updated its name in a move it says will make Indigenous storytellers feel welcomed. 

Formerly the Native American Journalist Association (NAJA), members voted to change the organization's name to the Indigenous Journalists Association in a 89-55 member vote at a conference hosted in Winnipeg last week.

Francine Compton, the associate director of IJA, said the move was made to match international language and to ensure all Indigenous storytellers feel welcomed.

"It means a whole lot to me, that I can now have this organization with a name where people in my own community can look at it and say, 'That's for me,'" said Compton, Anishinaabe from Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation, 131 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

She said she's driven to see each First Nation community have its own media and its a goal the IJA shares.

Compton said in 2020 they set a strategic plan with three goals: to host a conference in Winnipeg, to change the organization's name and to develop more international connections.

She said the name change also aligns with international language, which is important because the organization applied for non-governmental organization status at the United Nations and the new name allows IJA to "fully utilize Article 16 of the United Nations Declaration on the Right's of Indigenous Peoples."

Article 16 states Indigenous people have the right to establish their own media in their own languages while being able to access all forms of non-Indigenous media, too. 

With two of three goals done, she said IJA next plans to take part in the Global Investigative Journalism summit in Sweden next month.

"We are bringing Indigenous journalists together from around the globe to talk about how we can collaborate on investigations and what are the topics that are parallels for all of us," said Compton.

This past weekend the National Native Media Awards also took place in Winnipeg as part of the IJA's conference. CBC News picked up 11 awards at the ceremonies.

The awards were created to recognize excellence in coverage in Indigenous communities in both Canada and the United States.

CBC Indigenous picked up four awards, while CBC's Cree Unit walked away with three, including an award for best in print/online feature for "Going home," CBC National News - The National picked up best in TV feature for "Kidnapped by nun, residential school survivor fights for compensation," and CBC Podcasts picked up third for best in Multimedia for the five-episode series Buffy.

Chezney Martin with CBC's Six Nations was awarded first place in the print/online best sports category, while CBC North's Carla Ulrich placed third in the print/online beat reporting category.