APTN News InFocus

Homeless. Houseless. Shelterless. In Winnipeg, they're hard to miss. People sleep on sidewalks, in bus shelters, down alleyways, in tents and in abandoned buildings. But who are they? That's the question former APTN web reporter Kathleen Martens explores in the award-winning podcast series Our Relatives: Life on the Streets. As Winnipeg and communities across Canada continue to grapple with the to...

No taxes, free housing, and free tuition? You've probably seen those claims online about Indian Status—but are they actually true? InFocus is taking a break for the summer, so while we're away, we're sharing some of our other work with you. Jesse Andrushko and Savannah Kelly launched a new YouTube series called APTN News Answers, where they break down questions, current events, and issues affectin...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, guest host Dennis Ward examines the ongoing controversies surrounding the Thunder Bay Police Service, a force that has faced numerous independent investigations over alleged discrimination against Indigenous Peoples. Journalist Jon Thompson joins the show to discuss his decades of reporting on policing issues in Thunder Bay, concerns about how missing persons...

Talal Dakalbab was only named the commissioner of the Correctional Service in Canada in March but says he's already reaching out to communities to integrate them with prison programs to help rehabilitate inmates. Dakalbab, who takes over the position from Anne Kelly, joins guest host Mark Blackburn to talk about how he plans to revamp a prison system many see as outdated and unable to change. • •...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, guest host Karyn Pugliese speaks with federal NDP leader Avi Lewis about rebuilding the party and his political vision. This interview originally aired on APTN Nation to Nation. Find full episodes here: https://www.aptnnews.ca/nationtonation/ • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more:  https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN New...

The Quewezance sisters have spent decades fighting to clear their names after being convicted of a murder they say they did not commit. More than 30 years after their conviction and four years after their case was sent for review, they are still waiting for answers. On this episode of APTN News InFocus, guest host Leanne Sanders examines the lengthy delays facing people seeking justice after a wro...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines Canada's ecological footprint and the push for solutions through conservation and Indigenous-led stewardship. York University researcher Eric Miller breaks down new findings showing humanity is consuming resources at a rate equivalent to 1.7 Earths per year and explains what Canada must do to reduce its impact. Then, Seal River Wat...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at calls to rewrite Canada's Cannabis Act. Former senator Dan Christmas told a House of Commons committee the law has failed to recognize First Nations jurisdiction and does not align with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. APTN News reporter Jesse Staniforth joins the show from Montreal to explain how...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens speaks with Nunavut Premier John Main about the territory's priorities as the Arctic draws more attention. Elected in fall 2025, Main says northern leaders are still advocating for basics like housing and food security – needs many in southern Canada take for granted. He joins the show to discuss Arctic sovereignty and what Nunavummiut need...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at Canada's changing trade relationship with the United States. Prime Minister Mark Carney has warned about relying too heavily on the U.S., even as Ottawa works to maintain ties and expand trade elsewhere. Tabatha Bull is the president of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business and a member of Carney's revamped economic advisory...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens marks a major milestone for APTN's interview series Face to Face. The show is celebrating its 300th episode after more than a decade of in-depth conversations with First Nations, Métis and Inuit changemakers. Since taking over as host in 2017, Dennis Ward has brought Face to Face to communities across Turtle Island, including early intervie...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines Canada's push to build AI data centres in the name of sovereignty. The federal government is injecting over $2 billion for national AI infrastructure, while Bell has announced a 300-megawatt data centre near the Rural Municipality of Sherwood, Sask. As projects expand in proximity to Indigenous lands, questions remain about environ...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines British Columbia's plan to suspend parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). Premier of British Columbia David Eby outlined his plan during a meeting between leaders, according to the Canadian Press. Robert Phillips of the First Nations Summit joins the show to discuss what was said and what changes...

On this episode of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines the RCMP's decades-long surveillance of Indigenous Peoples. A CBC Investigates report reveals how the Native Extremism Program infiltrated Indigenous organizations and monitored leaders like George Manuel. Journalist Brett Forester joins the show to break down the investigation and what the findings reveal about state surveillance....

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens takes listeners inside a weekly APTN broadcast and the team bringing stories to French-speaking audiences across the country. APTN Nouvelles nationales Host Kim Sullivan shares the vision behind creating space for Indigenous stories in French and why language matters. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for...

Protests are a familiar sight across the country and journalists are often there documenting what unfolds. But what happens when police ignore their credentials? On this episode of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines growing concerns around press freedom in Canada. Photojournalist Amber Bracken shares her arrest on Wet'suwet'en territory while covering an RCMP raid. The episode also fe...

On Feb. 26, APTN News hosted a panel examining Métis identity and the ongoing controversy surrounding the Métis Nation of Ontario. The discussion also explored modern treaties and self-government agreements. Host Dennis Ward was joined in studio by Scott McLeod, Lake Huron regional chief for the Anishinabek Nation, Celeste Pedri-Spade, an associate professor at McGill University and Will Goodon, m...

Every winter, the Canadian Armed Forces runs Operation Nanook-Nunalivut, a military training exercise focused on Arctic defence. This year's operation was the largest to date. Up to 1,300 members were deployed across Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, alongside allies from the United States, Belgium, France and Denmark. The exercise has been running for nearly 20 years. But with rising...

Canada is wrapping up its Indian Day School digitization project. Since 2022, Library and Archives Canada has digitized more than six million records from 699 Indian day schools that operated between the 1860s and 2000. An estimated 200,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis children attended. On this edition of APTN News InFocus host Cierra Bettens speaks with Beth Greenhorn, a manager with the Day S...

APTN Investigates is going behind the scenes of its latest documentary, War on the Land. Reported by APTN Investigates journalist Kenneth Jackson, the story focuses on a former explosives plant in Nobel, Ont., about 250 kilometres north of Toronto. The factory helped supply two world wars. But decades after closing in 1985, contamination concerns remain. Shawanaga First Nation is now calling on th...

British Columbia has ended its drug decriminalization pilot program. Launched in January 2023, the exemption allowed adults to carry small amounts of certain illicit drugs in an effort to reduce stigma and address the toxic drug crisis. But on Jan. 31, the province let the pilot expire, saying it did not deliver the results hoped for. The move has sparked mixed reaction. Some, including Grand Chie...

Indigenous activism has long shaped Minneapolis. In 1968, the American Indian Movement was founded there, marking a turning point in the fight for Indigenous rights. More than 50 years later, AIM members are back on the streets, responding to fears of racial profiling and unlawful detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE. On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra...

It has been ten years since the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled that Canada discriminated against First Nations children on reserve by underfunding child welfare services. Yet children and families are still waiting for the system to be fixed. There are now plans in place to end the discrimination. On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens speaks with Indigenous Services Canad...

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens honours the life and legacy of Dan David, the father of APTN. David, a Mohawk journalist, spent 45 years transforming how Indigenous stories are told in Canada and around the world. From reporting for CBC and producing for TVOntario and VISION TV, to rebuilding newsrooms in South Africa, his work set the foundation for Indigenous journalism...

APTN's true crime documentary series Taken is back after a seven-year hiatus. The series first put a national spotlight on the case of Tanya Nepinak, a 31-year-old mother who went missing in Winnipeg in 2011. Nearly a decade after Taken aired her story, Manitoba announced plans to search the Brady landfill for her remains, renewing calls for justice from her family. On this edition of APTN News In...