National Native communications group elects Ray Fox as first president

Page 1

VANCOUVER - Twenty-one Native communications groups gathered at a founding conference here recently to solidify the formulation of a national Aboriginal communications society.

At the four-day founding conference, Native communications administrators, news editors, radio and television producers and journalists, witnessed an historic occasion. The atmosphere was one of accomplishment and jubilation. A dream of many Native journalists and radio and television broadcasters became a reality after nine years of constant struggle.

The first elected president of the new National Aboriginal Communications Society,. Ray Fox, attributes the success towards the establishment of the national society, to the "individuals who persevered with the concept and had the commitment towards the objective. Without these individuals who had firm courage, commitment and vision to pursue such a dream this creation of a national communications group would not have transpired."

Fox, a veteran in Native communications and a specialist in radio broadcasting is director of radio of the Aboriginal Radio and Television Society (ARTS). He said that the national society's elected executive should not "fear the work-load because of the expertise that exists among the Native communications societies across Canada."

Also elected to the executive were Inuit Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) president Rosemarie Kuptana as vice-president; Manitoba's Native Communication Incorporated (NCI) and Mikisew Broadcasting general manager, Ron Nadeau as secretary; and Bert Crowfoot, general Manager of the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) and the Aboriginal Radio and Television Society (ARTS), as treasurer.

"The elected executive can always rely on the existing resources available among our Native communications societies and with their commitment to support the national entity, our work will be easier, said Fox.

"The elected executive can always rely on the existing resources available among our Native communications societies and with their commitment to support the national entity, our work will be easier," said Fox.

The new president is confident that the objectives of the society will be fulfilled because these objectives "reflects the needs and concerns" of the 21 respective communications societies across Canada.

The objectives of the new communications society are:

(1) To establish a national organization of Aboriginal communications societies for the purpose of reflecting the common need and concerns of member societies.

(2) To develop and promote Aboriginal media through services that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) facilitating the exchange of information and programs among members;

(b) establishing a national Aboriginal communications library, print, radio, television and film, audio-visual, and other mediums of expression that reflect the Aboriginal people of Canada;

(c) facilitating marketing of Aboriginal produced print, audio and visual mediums for the primary benefit of its members;

(d0 facilitating radio, television and print access by members to public and private distribution systems and technology;

(e) and/or any other services, as may be required from time to time consistent with the common needs and concerns of member societies,

(3) To be non-partisan;

(4) To preserve and promote and enhance the development and growth of Aboriginal languages and cultures of Canada;

(5) To promote and develop the training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people in the communications field in Canada;

(6) To carry out such other matters as may be required, form time to time, to ensure the objectives of the society are met.

With a mandate of this magnitude and complexity, Fox stresses the need for total commitment and co-operation from the 21 societies which have one representative respectively on the national board of governors.

Recognizing the need for continuous monitoring and consultatios between the executive and the 21 societies, Fox said that there are working mechanisms established "to guarantee on-going consultations with the members" and as a result of these consultations, the executive can "plan the course of action based on directions received by the members,"

said Fox.

Other operational plans of the new society includes:

(a) management strategy and,

(b) news network (a three-year work plan.)

Under the three year work plan there are three phases:

(1) The first three years, phase one will develop the management and operational structure of national Aboriginal communications society including the actual linking of office's through automation. This will result in the exchange of printed news:

(2) The following three years, phase two will see full networking and the beginning of satellite linkage in the broadcast mediums, and

(3) A detailed proposal for phase three will be developed over the first three years of operation of the national communications society and will be presented as the society reaches more mature stages of its growth.

The strategies involved prescribed operational manual endorsed by the 21 societies of Canada and this operational manual is the "heart and soul of the new national body," said Fox.

The detailed operational manual calls for solidarity if the new society is to succeed with its objectives. Fox recalls the years of struggle to develop the constitution and by-laws; the governing structure and said, "the dream of some dedicated Native journalists, such as Jeff Bear, Caen Bly, Bert Crowfoot, and others, to become a reality is evidence to demonstrate to Canada that the Native personnel involved in this field are now on the edge of pioneering into communications."

The phase of the now defunct Alberta Native Communications Society (ANCS), "From Smoke Signals to Satellites" created a new dawn in telecommunications. Since then this theme has been nurtured by a new and growing breed of Native journalists, and mangers as demonstrated at the founding conference in Vancouver.

Roy Gould, executive director of the Nova Scotia Communications Society, remembers the times when "we were pounding the tables in 1977 trying to convince the governments that the societies need a national communications group. We finally reached the plateau."