APTN News InFocus

4.7 (19)
NEWS COMMENTARY
UPDATED WEEKLY

APTN News InFocus explores the stories and issues affecting Indigenous Peoples through expert interviews and meaningful conversations. Hosted by reporter Cierra Bettens, each episode offers unique insights and context from people who know the stories best.

DEC 19

From Trudeau's resignation to Jordan's Principle: A year in review and what lies ahead

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens is joined by Karyn Pugliese, APTN's senior online reporter and host of Nation to Nation, and Dennis Ward, host of APTN National News and Face to Face, for a year in review. We break down the biggest stories of the year, from Justin Trudeau's resignation and the evolving Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney to the appointment of Canada's first Indigenous minister of Indigenous Services and the debate around Bill S-2. We also look at Jordan's Principle, tensions within Indigenous organizations and what reporters will be watching closely in the year ahead. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

43 min
DEC 12

Can Nunavut fix its child welfare crisis?

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at the state of child welfare in Nunavut and why advocates say the territory is falling behind. Child and youth representative Jane Bates has been raising the alarm for years. In her latest report she says the territory is making little progress in the areas most critical to keeping young people safe. She joins us to talk about what has to change and why she says Nunavut needs action not explanation. We also hear from the minister of Family Services on how she plans to address the concerns raised by Bates and the auditor general. Before that, APTN's Justin Hardy checks in from Iqaluit with a look at the new legislature and the work ahead for Premier John Main and his cabinet. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

47 min
NOV 28

Who gets status? Inside the fight over the second-generation cut off

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens looks at the debate over the second-generation cut-off in the Indian Act. The Senate's Indigenous Affairs committee is reviewing Bill S-2, proposed legislation from the government that ends some discrimination against women in the Indian Act - but not all. The committee also wants to add an amendment to end what is called the second-generation cutoff and replace it with a one-parent rule for status entitlement. Lawyer and professor Pam Palmater joins us to share what's at stake for families like hers and talk about the fact and fiction in the information being shared. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

35 min
NOV 21

Ivan Zinger: Why Canada's prison watchdog is leaving early

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens speaks with Canada's outgoing Correctional Investigator, Ivan Zinger, about why he's leaving the job early after eight years. In his final annual report, he called for an overhaul of mental health services in federal corrections, arguing that they're ill-equipped to provide long-term care. The minister of Public Safety and the commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada did not make themselves available for an interview. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

36 min
NOV 14

The Cowichan win and what it really means for Richmond, B.C. residents

On this episode of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens takes a closer look at the B.C. court decision that recognized Aboriginal title rights for Cowichan Tribes and the misinformation that followed. Some residents of Richmond, B.C., now fear they'll lose their homes, despite clear public statements from Cowichan leadership that private landowners are not being targeted. Vancouver-based lawyer Kate Gunn from First Peoples Law joins the show to walk us through the legal context of the ruling and what it could mean for future title cases. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

13 min
NOV 7

Budget 2025: How it affects Indigenous Peoples

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens breaks down what Budget 2025 means for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Prime Minister Mark Carney has called it a "generational budget" – a bold, nearly $90-billion in new spending plan he says charts a new path forward for Canada. But what makes this budget bold? And who does it leave behind? Joining the show is Nation to Nation host and APTN's online correspondent in Ottawa Karyn Pugliese with analysis of the 493-page document and what it signals for Indigenous communities. Also on the show, Lisa Gue from the David Suzuki Foundation weighs in on the budget's climate commitments and whether they live up to Carney's environmental promises. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

30 min
OCT 31

Bail reform and what it means for Indigenous Peoples

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores how Canada's proposed bail reform bill is stirring debate. Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act is meant to restore public confidence in a system he admits is no longer working for many Canadians. But critics warn the bill could do more harm than good. Among them is Sen. Kim Pate, who has spent over four decades advocating for people criminalized by the system. She shares her concerns about what she calls a "politicized" approach to reform and what real change would look like. Also on the show, criminal defence lawyer Rheana Worme from Kawacatoose First Nation weighs in on how the bill could disproportionately impact Indigenous peoples, especially youth. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

28 min
OCT 24

Trump's move to scrub Indigenous Peoples from U.S. history

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines why the Trump administration is attempting to erase Indigenous Peoples from U.S. history. On Oct. 9, former president Donald Trump signed a proclamation restoring Columbus Day, calling the explorer "a true American hero" and suggesting that "every citizen is eternally indebted to his relentless determination". To dig into the implications, Cierra talks with Brett Chapman, a Ponca and Pawnee lawyer based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His ancestor, Chief Standing Bear, was a civil rights activist. Today, Chapman continues that legacy by defending Native American sovereignty in the courts. He shares his thoughts on what the Trump administration's policies mean for Indigenous Peoples in the United States. • • • APTN National News, our stories told our way. Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

27 min

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Melissa Ridgen

Host

4.7

out of 5

19 Ratings

A must listen!

May 6

Happygirl5

A much look forward to part of my week that helps me feel more in touch with the Indigenous angle of the news cycle
found searching “boushie”

2018-07-10

The Quare Fellow

Amazing podcast. I finished the CBC Boushie podcast and then came across this one with the search, this show should be front and center on CBC or get way more exposure nationally. Perfect for a white boy like me to hear things less white washed.
Good topics Great show

2017-11-23

Kenyack

Looks at a variety of topics that impact the lives of everyday indigenous people - the the concerns, the controversies and the cures.

APTN News InFocus explores the stories and issues affecting Indigenous Peoples through expert interviews and meaningful conversations. Hosted by reporter Cierra Bettens, each episode offers unique insights and context from people who know the stories best.