Inaugural cohort graduates from Journalism in Indigenous Communities Certificate Program
By Rebecca Loucks
OTTAWA — History was made as 17 Indigenous students graduate from a first-of-its-kind Indigenous journalism certificate program.
The inaugural cohort of the Carleton University Certificate in Journalism in Indigenous Communities (CJIIC) program graduated on May 30, which included an Honouring Ceremony at Richcraft Hall in Ottawa, Ontario.
It was a beautiful day for the graduates to celebrate their groundbreaking accomplishment with family and friends. The graduates were drummed into the Honouring Ceremony by the Ottawa River Singers. An opening ceremony was conducted by CJIIC Cultural Advisor Marilyn Debassige, and Elder Dr. Barbara Dumont-Hill welcomed all to the unceded traditional lands of the Algonquin people. CJIIC Director Duncan McCue served as the emcee for the graduation ceremony.
The graduates each received paddles with the CJIIC logo embedded on them, as well as a copper cup to add to their bundles. The paddles represented the journey they had taken as a family from the start of the program and to go forward together as they embark on their future journalism careers.
The CJIIC program launched on September 2, 2025. The program aims to strengthen journalistic storytelling by and about Indigenous people. The CJIIC program is a result of a collaboration between Carleton University, Kenjgewin Teg, and First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI). This program is the first of its kind, with 20 Indigenous students from across Canada participating. The inaugural cohort also included nine members of the Anishinabek Nation, including Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, Wasauksing First Nation, Whitefish River First Nation, and Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory.
The CJIIC program is a nine-month certificate program designed specifically for Indigenous learners. The program is delivered mostly online, in two three-hour sessions. The CJIIC program consists of three in-person intensive weeks. The first intensive is Indigenous storytelling and focusses on the storytelling and legends in Indigenous communities that have been told since time immemorial, and is held at Kenjgewin Teg in Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island). The second intensive is audio journalism and focusses on pitching, interviewing, and editing Indigenous content for an audio broadcast. The third intensive is video journalism and focusses on pitching, shooting, writing, and editing Indigenous content for a video newscast. Both the second and third intensives are held at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University in Ottawa. The program also features a two-week internship where students practice the skills they learn in the program and put them into practice at media or news organizations close to the students’ home communities. Some of the students participated remotely online with media organizations.
Each course of the CJIIC program is taught by a team of experienced Indigenous journalists and professors. Assisting the professors in the program are two teaching assistants, as well as the technical support department at the School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University.
Indigenous culture is a major component of the CJIIC program and helps guide the students along the way. Throughout the program, the inaugural cohort of students participated in Sunrise Ceremonies, a Medicine Walk, a traditional sweat lodge ceremony, various teachings by Elders and Traditional Knowledge Holders, including horn rattle-making and the Great Law of Peace teachings. Cultural Advisor Debassige has been supporting the students in the classroom with opening and closing ceremonies since the beginning of the CJIIC program.
Two key support roles for the students have been Student Success Facilitator Denise Leafe and Program Manager Emily Everett, who have been with the students since the beginning. The two women have been instrumental in coordinating the daily operations of the CJIIC program.
The CJIIC program serves as a pathway to advanced standing in Carleton University’s Bachelor of Journalism, Master of Journalism, or Bachelor of Arts programs. Three students from the inaugural cohort will be attending Carleton University in the Fall to continue their personal journalism journey.
The second cohort of the CJIIC program will start in the Fall of 2026.
About Rebecca Loucks
Rebecca is a graduate of the inaugural CJIIC cohort. She completed a two-week internship with Anishinabek News. She is grateful for the opportunity to continue to use her freelance skills to continue her journey in journalism.