Lenard Monkman, a celebrated Anishnaabe journalist, is getting ready to take on a huge undertaking. He hopes to address the health inequities that Indigenous peoples experience throughout Western Canada. For Monkman, that’s an important step toward addressing the disproportionate rates of HIV, among other harmful disparities. Through this grant he hopes to study major barriers Indigenous communities face when seeking healthcare and harm-reduction services.
Based in Winnipeg’s north end, Monkman has seen the destructive health effects of systemic racism in action on a daily basis over the years. He has observed alarming rates of diabetes affecting family and friends and noted the tragic increase in deaths and overdoses due to rising drug use within his community. These experiences have inspired his dedication to urgent health issues surrounding Indigenous groups.
Monkman’s research will gather perspectives from First Nations leaders, frontline service and harm reduction workers, and public health care professionals. Most importantly, he documents the lived experiences of people with HIV. His underlying intention is to encourage critical thinking and dialogue about these urgent issues.
Monkman further stressed the need to continue to educate our community about the impacts of HIV, drug use and harm reduction. She said she knows it’s important to have those difficult conversations. “Hopefully, this work will have an impact, not just in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but in other Indigenous communities across the country.”
In order to carry out this important work, Monkman has been awarded $100,000 in funding. This funding arms him to really dig deep into the biggest issues. Because of that, the stories he tells will hit really close to home in his community and outside as well. Moira Monkman photo courtesy the artist Monkman has spent the past three years working behind the scenes as a producer for CBC Kids. Now, he’s thrilled to come back to his roots in reporting!
Residents in my community have faith in me. They trust that I’m not going to try to blow up a story to get a few extra page views,” he continued. His commitment to quality journalism speaks to his determination to craft an impactful story instead of a 24-hour news jab.
I hope that this story has a long-term, rippling effect. It mustn’t be a passing headline in the news. Monkman wants to draw attention to Indigenous health issues through the stories he reports. He hopes that this success will encourage further investment in Indigenous journalism.
Supported by Dr. Marcia Anderson, the vice-dean of Indigenous health, social justice, and anti-racism at the University of Manitoba, Monkman is determined to elevate these discussions. Defending and elevating journalists, Nicholas declared, is all part of uplifting our communities.
