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Canadian Minority Media Database

Minority media are a vital component of our media ecosystem and contribute greatly to our cultural diversity and heritage. However they often go unnoticed as they target specific ethnic groups and are overshadowed by majority media, whether national or transnational. The purpose of the Canadian Minority Media Database is to shed light on minority media both in their operations and as subjects of scholarly research.

The Canadian Minority Media Database comprises three open access databases: the Canadian Ethnic Media Index (CEMI), the Canadian Indigenous Media Index (CIMI)  and the Canadian Minority Media Bibliography (CMMB).

• The CEMI provides a comprehensive index of past and present Canadian-based ethnic media.

• The CIMI provides a comprehensive index of past and present Canadian-based Indigenous media*.

• The CMMB is a comprehensive compilation of scholarly references (e.g., articles, book chapters, books, and professional reports) dealing specifically with Canadian-based ethnic and aboriginal media.

* Notes on CIMI terminology

In the Canadian Indigenous Media Index, as well as in the Canadian Minority Media Database as a whole, we refer as much as possible to the specific name by which communities and media most frequently identify themselves. Whenever possible, we adopt the name used by the medium itself. When the medium’s preference is unknown (for example when the medium has been discontinued), we use the names as they are used in the “Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples & Traditional Territory” compiled by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and the “List of Names for Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia” available from the X̱wi7x̱wa Library, University of British Columbia. Another valuable resource concerning nation specific names are the Tribal Nations Maps that show the Traditional Territories of Indigenous Peoples with the names that Indigenous Peoples use for themselves. These sources were created in consultation with Indigenous Peoples, and continue to be updated according to evolving terminology. 

When a medium talks about or is aimed at multiple Indigenous communities and/or nations, we use Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous is a collective noun for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in Canada. When the medium focuses on Indigenous communities in a specific region, we couple Indigenous Peoples with specific language: for example, Indigenous Peoples in Alberta. We choose to use Indigenous rather than Native or Aboriginal. Native, while commonly used for a long time, has fallen out of use in Canada for the most part (it is still commonly used in the United States in Native American). Aboriginal is still an appropriate term but is gradually being replaced by Indigenous, which is often preferred by Indigenous Peoples themselves, possibly in recognition of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Indigenous Peoples recognizes the cultural integrity and diversity of Indigenous Peoples and affirms the spiritual, political, territorial, linguistic, and cultural distinctions of those people indigenous to the land settlers arrived to. 

Works cited/for more information on terminology, see: 

- Canadian Association of University Teachers. (2020) Guide to Acknowledging First Peoples & Traditional Territory. https://www.caut.ca/content/guide-acknowledging-first-peoples-traditional-territory 

- Heath Justice, D. (2018) Why Indigenous Literatures Matter. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. 

- Joseph, Bob. (2020). Indigenous Peoples. A Guide to Terminology: Usage, Tips & Definitions..Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. 

- X̱wi7x̱wa Library. (2019) X̱wi7x̱wa Names for BC First Nations. University of British Columbia. https://xwi7xwa-library-10nov2016.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2019/09/B.C.Names_.pdf 

- Younging, Gregory. (2018) Elements of Indigenous Style. A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples. Brush. (especially chapter 6 on terminology)

• Analytical description of fields*

*Please note that fields are left blank when the information is unknown or missing.