"Sharing Our Stories with All Canadians": Decolonizing Aboriginal Media and Aboriginal Media Politics in Canada

Abstract

The mass media are an essential constituent in the construction of a nation’s and an individual’s self-image. Whether we like and know it or not, from early childhood on we are surrounded by media images and messages that to a great extent shape our perception and understanding of the world as well as contribute to our identity formation and our perceived place in society. What if these images and messages are generated within a culture that is not our own? What if our self-image is incongruent with the national self-image constructed in the mass media? What kind of consequences does such incongruence have for individuals? These are questions that Aboriginal people in Canada are faced with, questions that could direct discussions about the present state of Aboriginal Canada toward thinking about colonization and neocolonialism and their devastating consequences for Aboriginal Canada.1 Likewise, they point toward the fact that colonialism produced neo/colonial discourse and mass media, which with the help of Michel Foucault’s ideas can be seen as “the colonial gaze.” This neo/colonial discourse and gaze has shaped the perceptions of indigenous cultures in Western mainstream societies and contributed to the production of colonized minds. Many Aboriginal people saw (and see) themselves through the eyes, mind-set, and lenses of the colonizing group and “learned” their framework of thought: Aboriginal cultures and religions are inferior; Aboriginal people are less effective, rational, intelligent, and organized; and Aboriginal people are second-class citizens. To counter this situation, an autonomous decolonized media discourse is necessary that presents Aboriginal issues from the inside out, offers a second (opposing) perspective on current issues, and helps