LibGuides: First Nations, Métis & Inuit in Canada: Newspapers and magazines

Guides to Indigenous newspapers in Canada

Newspaper articles can be a good source of up-to-date information on virtually any topic. They are also considered to be primary sources since they are often the first published account of an event. York University has a wide range of newspapers from all over the world and many parts of Canada. These may be available in many formats - paper, electronic, or microform.

On this page:

Indigenous Newspapers in Canada (current)
Indigenous Newspapers in Canada (ceased publications)
Additional newspaper sources, including current and former government publications about or for Indigenous peoples, as well as links to news databases

Native American Periodicals and Newspapers, 1828-1982 by James P. Danky (Editor); Maureen E. Hady (Compiled by); Ann Bowles
Call Number: Z 1209.2 U5 D36 1984
Publication Date: 1984
This work is a guide to the holdings and locations of 1,164 periodical and newspaper titles by and about Native Americans. The scope is broad, covering literary, political and historical journals as well as general newspapers and feature magazines.
Indigenous peoples newspapers
Online resource containing newspapers in English and Indigenous languages from communities across North America. Publication titles consist of Agenutemagen, AIM, Akwesasne notes, Anica news, Arctic century, The Arctic news, The Choctaw intelligencer, Choctaw telegraph, Copway's American Indian, Elbow drums, The Indian scout, The Indian's friend, Indians at work, Kawerak news, The Micmac news, The new nation, The original people, The red man, T'Sigonde, Tribal Indian news, Ttsigoinda.

Indigenous newspapers in Canada

The following are current newspapers by and for Indigenous people in Canada.

Alberta Native News
Official site for that has been a source of Aboriginal news and viewpoints in Canada since 1984.
- Back issues, from 2013, available on website.
Anishinabek News
Official site of newspaper published by the Communications Unit of the Union of Ontario Indians and launched in 1988 to share knowledge about Anishinabek Nation current affairs, culture, political objectives and accomplishments.
- Back issues from 1993-1994 and 2005-present also available on website.
Eagle Feather News
Official site of monthly newspaper that deals with topics of interest to readers in Saskatchewan's First Nation and Métis communities.
Eastern Door
Official site of the community-based newspaper serving the community of Kahnawake since 1992.
Ha-Shilth-Sa
Official site for oldest First Nations newspaper in Canada.
- Back issues, 1974-2017, digitized by Library and Archives Canada.
Inuktitut Magazine (ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ)
Official website for the quarterly magazine published in Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English and French. This periodical was first published in 1959 and re-launched in 2005.
- Hard copies, 1977-2000, and e-resources, from 1993, available at York University.
Ku'ku'kwes News
Official site dedicated to covering Indigenous news in Atlantic Canada.
Mi’kmaq Maliseet Nations News
Official site for the First Nation owned, community focused monthly newspaper with a particular focus on Mi’kmaq culture.
Muskrat Magazine
Official site of the online literary arts and culture publication published in Toronto and launched in 2010.
The Nation
Official site of the magazine publishing Cree and James Bay-related print content in northern Quebec and Ontario since 1993. Back issues (1994 to 2015) available on their archival website.
Neh Motl
Official site maintained by the Tla'amin Nation contains back issues as of 2014.
Nunatsiaq News
Official site of the newspaper for Nunavut, and the Nunavik territory of Quebec, published since 1975.
- Article archive, from 1997, also available on website.
Salish Sea Sentinel
Official site of the magazine first published as a newsprint in 2004.
- Back issues from 2014 also available on website.
Turtle Island News
Official site for the weekly community newspaper, published in Ohsweken, Ontario.
- Selected articles, 1997-2016, digitized by Six Nations Public Library.
Tusaayaksat
Official site of the magazine, founded in 2013, which covers the Inuvialuit people, culture and heritage in the Canadian Arctic. All issues older than 12 months are free to view. Most recent year of issues must be purchased.
Two Row Times
Official site of the weekly publication, founded in 2013, which brings news to Ontario Indigenous communities as well as Haudenosaunee communities in the United States.
Wawatay News
Official site of the semi-monthly newspaper published since 1974.
- Back issues, 2013-present, also available on website.
Windspeaker
Official site for current issues of the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta’s flagship publication. Established in 1983 to serve the needs of northern Alberta, Windspeaker became a national newspaper on its 10th anniversary in 1993.
- News archive, 2001-2016, maintained by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society.
- Back issues, 1985-2015, digitized by Library and Archives Canada.

The Toronto Public Library may hold copies to some of these resources.

Indigenous newspapers in Canada (ceased publications)

The following are out-of-print Indigenous newspaper sources in Canada.

Akwesasne news
Newspaper published by the Mohawk Nation between 1968-1996 in English and Mohawk.
Alberta Sweetgrass
Established in 1993 to serve the needs of the Indigenous people of Alberta.
- Articles, 2001-2013, news archive maintained by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society.
Buffalo Spirit
Buffalo Spirit is a journey of self-discovery about Indigenous cultural traditions and spiritual concepts and practices.
- Selected articles, 2001-2012, news archive maintained by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society.
Deh Cho Drum
A weekly newspaper printed in Fort Simpson, NWT, which ceased publication in 2017 after 23 years. Selective pages preserved in the Internet Archive.
Gigmanag
Back issues digitized and maintained by the Native Council of Prince Edward Island.
First Nations Drum
Official site of the national Aboriginal newspaper in Canada.
Kainai News
A weekly newspaper.
- Back issues, 1968-1991, digitized by the University of Lethbridge Library.
Le Metis
Weekly newspaper printed in French.
- Back issues, 1871-1881, digitized by the University of Alberta Libraries.
Lexey’em
Archive, 2014-2017, of the bi-monthly publication produced by the Northern Shuswap Tribal Council, in partnership with the Williams Lake Tribune.
MicMac News
Newspaper covered historical and contemporary issues and events, including Aboriginal rights cases, social and labour history, material and intangible culture, and celebrations of Mi’kmaw life. The newspaper provided a means of language preservation; prayers and myths were printed in the paper, and simple language lessons in Mi’kmaq were also a regular feature.
- Back issues, 1965-1991, digitized by the Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Native Journal
Published from 2006-2013.
The Native Voice
The official newspaper of the Native Brotherhood of British Columbia.
- Back issues, 1947-1949, 1951, and 1953-1955, available on the website.
New Breed Magazine
Published by the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan.
- Back issues, 1970-2009, digitized by the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research.
Nunavut Newsletter
An English and Inuktitut monthly Report on the Nunavut Land Claims Project published by the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut and established in 1982.
- Hard copies, 1984-1993, available at York University Libraries.
Ontario Birchbark
A publication, launched in 2002, specifically designed to serve the Indigenous people of Ontario.
- News archive, 2002-2016, maintained by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society.
- E-resource, 2002-2016, available through York University Libraries.
Petaubun
Petaubun (Peep of Day) contains Anishinaabemowin text and was printed in Sarnia, Ontario from approximately 1861 to 1862. Three volumns from 1862 are digitized and available on Canadiana.org.
Raven's Eye
A news publication, launched in 1997, specifically designed for the Indigenous people of British Columbia and Yukon.
- News archive, 2001-2016, maintained by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society.
Saskatchewan Indian Magazine
The Saskatchewan Indian was the official publication of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations between 1970 and 2011. Digitized back issues available through the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC) collections database.
Saskatchewan Sage
A news publication, launched in 1996, specifically designed to serve the Indigenous people of Saskatchewan.
- News archive, 2001-2016, maintained by the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society.
Sun Dance Echo
Predecessor to the Kainai News.
- Back issues, 1964-1966, digitized by the University of Lethbridge Library.
Tekawennake News
Official website captured by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
- Back issues and selected articles, 1969-2013, digitized by the Six Nations Public Library.
Treaty Talk. Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group
"HTG Quarterly Newsletter" (2005-2009) website preserved by the Internet Archive, but newsletters were not archived by the Internet Archive. Website of Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group no longer up; refer instead to Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group page on BC Treaty Commission website.
Tumivut
The cultural magazine of the Nunavik Inuit established in 1990 and published in English, French and Inuktitut by the Avataq Cultural Institute.
- Hard copies, 1995-1999, available at York University Libraries.
Digitized back issues can be viewed in Google Drive.

The Toronto Public Library may hold copies to some of these resources.

Additional newspaper sources

The following are additional newspaper sources.

Brantford Expositor
Articles, 1923-2002, digitized by the Six Nations Public Library.
Tukimut
Economic development news for Nunavummiut published by the Government of Canada Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, published from 2004 to 2007.
Indian News
During the years of 1954 to 1982 the Department of Indian Affairs issued a publication called the Indian News that was intended for distribution amongst Canada's First Nations people. Originating as a quarterly publication and eventually becoming a monthly one, the Indian News covered an array of topics and issues related to Canada's First Nations people and their communities.
Inuttituut
Periodical published by the Government of Canada Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development from 1959 to 1977.
- Hard copies, 1962-1977, available at York University Libraries.
Kamloops Wawa
Published by the missionary Father Jean-Marie Raphael LeJeune who actively sought an Aboriginal audience and focused on local and national Native concerns. The link above is to the Wikipedia article about the newspaper. For archived issues, see 1891-1900, digitized by Canadiana
- Back issues, 1891-1918, digitized by the University of British Columbia Library.
Library and Archives Canada : Aboriginal Newspapers List
An archived list, previously maintained by Library and Archives Canada, of Indigenous newspapers in Canada.
Multicultural Historical Society of Ontario-Aboriginal newspaper collection
Microfilms of The Calumet: the monthly newsletter of Connex, Canadian Indian (1890-1891), Hagersville=Indians (1885-1886), Inuit Today (1971-1982), The Lightbulb, N'Amerind News (1980-1987), Our Forest Children, Owen Sound (1889-1890), and Petaubun (1862).
NHDS newspaper digitization pilot project
A project of the National Heritage Digitization Strategy to digitize and make available issues from Windspeaker (1986-2015), Ha-Shilth-Sa (1974-2017), Turtle Island News (2001-2013) and Nunatsiaq News (1976-78). Together, these collections represent more than 80 years of Indigenous news publishing.

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