Partners, Par�cipants & Protesters:An Analysis of Canadian News Media in 2016 on the Portrayal of

Indigenous Leadership in Renewable Energy ProjectsAlyssa Aiello, Robert Stefanelli, Chad Walker, and Heather Castleden

INTRODUCTION

Climate change is a growing concern for the 21st century, and the media is an important communicator of this issue.¹ In order to reduce society’s dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, alterna�ve energy sources must be developed.² Indigenous peoples across Canada possess a sophis�cated understanding of the complexity of their local environments, as well as the importance of reducing human impact on the natural world.³ It seems that the �me for development of renewable energy (RE) is now and, due to extensive knowledge and the fact that such development will o�en take place on their lands, Indigenous peo-ples across Canada are well-posi�oned to lead the transi�on³,⁴. The media wields substan�al power in the stories they tell, the way they tell them, and the meaning that is conveyed.⁵

1. Hansen, A. (2011). Communica�on, media and the environment: Towards reconnec�ng research on the produc�on, content and social implica�ons of environmental communica�on. The Interna�onal Communica�on Gaze�e, 73 (1-2), 8-15.2. Droege, P. (2002). Renewable Energy and the City: Urban Life in an Age of Fossil Fuel Deple�on and Climate Change. Bulle�n of Science, Technology & Society, 22 (2), 87-91.3. Krupa, J. (2012). Iden�fying barriers to Aboriginal renewable energy deployment in Canada. Energy Policy, 42, 711.4. Krupa, J., Galbraith, L., & Burch, S. (2015). Par�cipatory and mul�-level governance: applica�ons to Aboriginal renewable energy projects. Local Environment, 20 (1), 81.5. Gamson, W. & Wolfsfeld, G. (1993). Movements and Media as Interac�ng Systems. Annals of the American Academy of Poli�cal and Social Science, 528, 116-118.6. Collins, K., & Ison, R. (2009). Jumping off arnstein's ladder: Social learning as a new policy paradigm for climate change adapta�on. Environmental Policy and Governance, 19(6), 358-373. doi:10.1002/eet.527. Hepp A. (2011). Media�za�on, media technologies and the “moulding forces” of the media. Presented at the Interna�onal Communica�on Associa�on’s 2011 Virtual Conference. Retrieved from h�p://www.media�siertewelten.de8. Gitlin, T. (1980). The whole world is watching. Berkeley: University of California Press. 9. Background Image - h�ps://wall.alphacoders.com/big.php?i=707046

Acknowledgments:Daniel Woolf (Principal);John Fisher (Interim Vice-Principal (Research));The work was completed with the support of the Undergraduate Summer Student Research Fellowship, CIHR, and the HEC Lab at Queen's University.

RESEARCH METHODS

FINDINGS

CONCLUSION

(3) Private sector news sources (Globe and Mail, Na�onal Post) depicts Indigenous leadership roles as economic, while main-stream sources (APTN, CBC) also frame leadership roles social, and environmental.

Public Sector (APTN, CBC):

- refers to Indigenous leadership as significant, empowerment roles (ie. equals, land protectors, leaders);

- a�empts to use posi�ve/upli�ing terminology (ie. commitment, protector, collabora�on, mentor, united, unified);

- includes statements about Indigenous leadership being “le� out” or “excluded” from the conversa�on around renewable energy

PRIVATE-SECTOR SOURCE vs. PUBLIC-SECTOR SOURCE

INDIGENOUS SOURCE vs. MAINSTREAM SOURCE

THREE PRIMARY ROLES OF INDIGENOUS LEADERSHIP PORTRAYED ACROSS ALL NATIONAL CANADIAN NEWS SOURCES

Private Sector (Globe and Mail, Na�onal Post):

- refers to Indigenous leadership as significant, economic roles (ie. shareholders, project partners, investors);

- a�empt to use neutral terminology (ie. partners, decision makers, commi�ee members);

- does not include statements about Indigenous leadership exclusion

Mainstream Source (CBC, Globe and Mail, Na�onal Post):

- outlines Indigenous empowerment roles as administra�ve (ie. owners, partners, shareholders, decision makers);

- depicts a variety of roles in different levels of par�cipa�on, from the individual to the community level

Indigenous Source (APTN):

- outlines Indigenous empowerment roles as stewardship (ie. land protectors);

- refers to leadership as ac�on oriented roles involving community (ie. united, unified, protes�ng, protec�on);

- did not portray roles of non-par�cipa�on, unless referring to instances where Indigenous leadership was “excluded” by others

OBJECTIVES

This study analyzed how the media is represen�ng Indigenous leadership in Canada with renewable energy development a�er the Truth and Reconcilia�on Commission’s final report was released in December 2015. This study:(1) iden�fed how media sources portray Indigenous involvement in RE;(2) analyzed the difference in media narra�ve between mainstream and Indigenous news sources;(3) documented the difference in media narra�ve between private-sector and the public-sector news sources.

This study used a qualita�ve content analysis of four na�onal Canadian news sources: Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network (APTN), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Globe and Mail, and National Post.A key word search was conducted rela�ng to the terms “renewable energy”, “Indigenous peoples/communi�es”, “Aboriginal”, “First Na�ons, Inuit, and Me�s”, and “wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, �dal energy”. Two databases (ProQuest, Google News) were used to search between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. News ar�cles were selected for inclusion if they covered discussions of Indigenous leadership in renew-able energy development, including projects, processes, and policy. There was a total of 29 news ar�cles for 2016: APTN (7), CBC (14), Globe and Mail (3), Na�onal Post (5). Sherry Arnstein’s Ladder of Par�cipa�on was u�lized and adapted to determine Indigenous leadership involvement with respect to renewable energy projects.⁶ Figure 1 - Summary of the target audiences for each Canadian na�onal news media source. Informa�on

retrieved directly from respec�ve news source audience informa�on web pages.

“The more closely the concerns and values of

social movements coincide with the concerns and values

of elites in poli�cs and in media, the more likely they are to become incorporated

in the prevailing news frames”.⁸

There is widespread acceptance of informa�on technology and communica�on formats that inform human interac�on and affect social ac�vi�es ⁷. The key implica�on for news media sources and consumers is to cri�-cally think about the power media has in re(producing) narra�ves that inform and affect human interac�on, and subsequently, the transi�on from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

(1) In 2016, Canadian Na�onal news media por-trayed indigenous leadership in renewable energy develop-ment in three primary roles as protesters, as partners, and as par�cipants.

(2) Indigenous news sources (APTN) depict Indigenous leadership roles that demonstrate stewardship, ac�on-oriented involve-ment, and as community based. This portrayal would suggest a sense of unified responsibility.

- 16 million users- “all Canadians”

- 13 languages including English, French, 8 Indigenous languages,

Arabic, Mandarin, and Spanish

- 4.7 million weekly readers- Fulltime professionals

between ages of 25 and 65,average $70,000 income

- English

- 3 million viewers- “Both Aboriginal and

non-Aboriginal, of all interests”- Multilple languages including

Aboriginal, English, French

- 6.3 million weekly readers- Ages 35 and under,

less than $100,000 income- “The In�uencer: a business reader

who is informed, educated, and connected”

- English