2025-2026 Reporting on the Calls for Justice: 6.1: Media and Social Media Influencers
Learn how the Government of Canada is responding to Calls for Justice 6.1
Initiatives report progress based on how they respond to a Call for Justice or respond to part of a Call for Justice.
Updates are based on data provided June 3, 2026.
On this page
6.1: Take decolonizing approaches to their work and publications in order to educate all Canadians about Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people
More specifically, this includes the following:
roman numeral 1) Ensure authentic and appropriate representation of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, inclusive of diverse Indigenous cultural backgrounds, in order to address negative and discriminatory stereotypes.
roman numeral 2) Support Indigenous people sharing their stories, from their perspectives, free of bias, discrimination, and false assumptions, and in a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive way.
roman numeral 3) Increase the number of Indigenous people in broadcasting, television, and radio, and in journalist, reporter, producer, and executive positions in the entertainment industry, including, and not limited to, by: providing educational and training opportunities aimed at Indigenous inclusion; and providing scholarships and grants aimed at Indigenous inclusion in media, film, and music industry-related fields of study.
roman numeral 4) Take proactive steps to break down the stereotypes that hypersexualize and demean Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and to end practices that perpetuate myths that Indigenous women are more sexually available and "less worthy" than non-Indigenous women because of their race or background.
Initiatives
Indigenous Screen Office – Canadian Heritage
Overview of initiative
Canadian Heritage's Indigenous Screen Office program is delivered via the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), an independent, Indigenous-led, non-profit funding organization supporting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis creators of screen-based content in Canada. It is supported by sustained investments from the Department of Canadian Heritage. The ISO provides funding for audiovisual projects across various formats, including film, television, podcasts, and video games, ensuring Indigenous stories are told by Indigenous voices. The organization operates with a mandate to foster narrative sovereignty and cultural revitalization by increasing Indigenous storytelling on screens. ISO's strategic approach is centered on community engagement, Indigenous knowledge, and industry advocacy.
Updates for the 2025-2026 fiscal year
Annual reports for 2025-2026 come out in June, after the publication date of the Federal Pathway's Annual Progress Report. All program reporting is one year behind.
Highlights included:
- At the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, Indigenous cinema reached a new high point as Zacharias Kunuk's Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband) won Best Canadian Feature Film—underscoring Inuit creative leadership, the impact of sustained Indigenous-led investment, and the growing audience demand for culturally grounded, Indigenous-language storytelling
- In 2024-25, $54,000 in finishing funds was awarded to Blood Lines Films Inc. for Blood Lines, a Métis-led feature with English and Michif that premiered in TIFF 2025's Centrepiece program and formed part of a record eight Indigenous films at TIFF this year, all supported by the Indigenous Screen Office
- In 2024-25, $500,000 was awarded to Ice Pirates Productions Inc. for Smudge the Blades, a community-driven First Nation coming-of-age feature film about a Triple-A hockey team in its final turbulent year of eligibility in a Northern Alberta league
- In 2024-25, $10,000 was awarded to Tooth & Nail Pictures Ltd. For ECTOPIA, an interactive, immersive art installation about an infertile scientist on an abandoned starship who implants her embryos into the vessel's plant systems as an experiment in hope for future descendants
- In 2024-25, $210,000 was awarded to Tantoo Cardinal's Tap Root Actors Academy to support a Métis-focused, community-based acting and filmmaking academy in Kikino Métis Settlement, where youth develop storytelling, language, and cultural skills through seasonal workshops led by guest knowledge-sharers
- In 2024-25, $200,000 was allocated to nine recipients to create original podcasts, including Criminals on Patrol and the Aunties Dandelion
Response to Call for Justice 6.1
The ISO program responds to part of Call for Justice 6.1 by advancing authentic, Indigenous-led storytelling in media, thereby addressing long-standing misrepresentations of Indigenous Peoples. By supporting Indigenous creators and advocating for decolonizing approaches in media production, ISO challenges discriminatory stereotypes and promotes accurate, respectful narratives. The organization also actively works to increase Indigenous representation in executive and decision-making roles within the media sector. Indigenous survivors, families, and communities benefit from this program by gaining access to media that reflects their realities, experiences, and histories, fostering greater awareness, education, and cultural pride.
Key impacts
- Increased on-screen representation : Supports Indigenous creators, ensuring their perspectives and languages are centered in audiovisual storytelling
- Cultural revitalization and sovereignty: Funds Indigenous-led projects, strengthens storytelling traditions and community knowledge-sharing, and supports the creation, use, and visibility of Indigenous languages across screen and audio
- Industry advocacy and training: Provides support for training, mentorship, and networking that grows an Indigenous talent pipeline, expands market access, supporting international presence through festival platforms, co-production forums, and global partnerships
- Authentic Indigenous representation on screen: ISO ensures Indigenous stories are conceived and led by Indigenous creators, with Indigenous leadership in key creative roles and perspectives centered throughout
- Equity in media industry: Increases Indigenous participation in all aspects of screen production through funding, training, and advocacy
- Decolonizing media practices: Embeds ‘On-Screen Protocols and Pathways' by making cultural protocols, consent, and community governance standard across development, production, and marketing, promoting ethical storytelling and reshaping Canada's media landscape to be more inclusive and respectful
Funding details
In 2024-2025, the ISO program distributed $11.9 million to 222 projects. The ISO has received sustained funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and other partners to support the Indigenous screen sector. ISO continues to secure funding to expand outreach, training, and storytelling initiatives.
Note that funding details are for projects funded in 2024-2025, as annual reports for 2025-2026 come out in June, after the publication date of the Federal Pathway's Annual Progress Report. All program reporting is one year behind.
Changing Narratives Fund – Canadian Heritage
Overview of initiative
Canadian Heritage (PCH)'s Changing Narratives Fund (CNF) is a time-limited initiative that supports diverse communities (for example, Indigenous, Black, racialized, ethno-religious minority, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ communities) to share their stories, experiences, and perspectives so that their voices are accurately and authentically represented in the media, and culture sectors in Canada.
The objective of the CNF is to implement incentives and initiatives that encourage greater participation of diverse communities and organizations in the culture and media sectors. To achieve this objective, the CNF provides support for mentorship, training and professional development opportunities for diverse communities at all career stages so that members from these communities can increase their participation in the creative sectors.
The funding allocated for the CNF is distributed through three existing programs to better support diverse communities and organizations in three industries:
The Changing Narratives Fund stream of the Canada Media Fund prioritizes projects that foster the development of an inclusive audiovisual sector by providing training and professional development opportunities for diverse communities.
The Changing Narratives Fund stream of the Local Journalism Initiative prioritizes the hiring of diverse (that is, Indigenous, Black, racialized, ethno-religious minority, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ communities) journalists in diverse-owned and mainstream news organizations to produce civic journalism for underserved communities. These journalists will take part in mentoring, training, and professional development activities to increase their participation in the media sector at all career stages. To protect the independence of the press, the Community Media Coalition, represented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada will deliver this stream.
The Collective Initiatives component of the Canada Periodical Fund prioritizes projects designed to increase the overall sustainability of the Canadian magazine and (non-daily) community newspaper industries.
Updates for the 2025-2026 fiscal year
The Canada Media Fund: Invested $940,000 for the Changing Narratives Fund for 2025-2026, of which $457,722 (49%) supported three Indigenous projects:
- Shine Bright: Indigenous Showrunner Mentorship Intensive received $130,582
- An eight month Indigenous-led initiative supporting five Indigenous women writers, producers and emerging showrunners to develop an original TV project that provides mentorship, business and legal training and culturally grounded guidance to strengthen leadership capacity
- Offered nationally and delivered virtually to participants in a minimum of three provinces and territories
- Digital Stewardship and Indigenous Storytelling received $64,020
- The Culture Capture Project mentors and trains Indigenous and Métis creators focused on photogrammetry and digital asset creation, and is offered nationally through a hybrid model
- 12 participants digitize culturally significant objects and create story-based contextualization rooted in community memory
- Indigenous Futures Virtual Production Training Program (Manitoba): $263,120
- The Indigenous Futures Media Centre produces a two-part training initiative providing 29 Indigenous creators with foundational and advanced virtual production skills that blends technical instruction with Indigenous storytelling approaches, and expands access to immersive media technologies
The Local Journalism Initiative: In October 2025, the Department of Canadian Heritage entered into a contribution agreement with Community Media Coalition (as represented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada) for the implementation of the Changing Narratives Fund stream of the Local Journalism Initiative, covering the period of October 1, 2025 to March 31, 2027. Information about the projects funded in 2025-2026 is not available at this time.
Collective Initiatives Component of the Canada Periodical Fund: Information about the projects funded in 2025-2026 is not available at this time.
Response to Call for Justice 6.1
The Changing Narratives Fund responds to Call for Justice 6.1roman numeral 1 and 6.1roman numeral 2 by financing projects and initiatives led by and/or serving Indigenous communities to ensure there is accurate and authentic representation of Indigenous girls, women, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals in the creative sectors. To this effect, from the CNF-CMF budget in 2024-2025, $768,333 was allocated to support five (5) Indigenous projects.
Key impacts
The expected outcomes of the Changing Narratives Fund include the following:
- increased number of industry development initiatives undertaken by magazine and community newspaper associations
- sector (for example, media and cultural sectors) development is supported
- professional development opportunities nurture and develop the talent of diverse communities
- Canadians appreciate the diversity of the Canadian population
- diverse communities participate in the culture and media sectors
Funding details
In 2024, the Government committed $10 million over three years, starting in 2024-2025, to the Department of Canadian Heritage to support the implementation of the Changing Narratives Fund.