Windspeaker celebrates 10 years by going national

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It was early in 1977 when Bert Crowfoot began his newspaper career as a freelance writer for the Native People newspaper, which was published by the Alberta Native Communications Society.

He rose through the ranks to become the editor in the early 1980s. He involuntarily left the Native people because of philosophical differences with the board of directors of ANCS.

Bert and his partner, Ben Buffalo Rider, started publishing a newspaper from his basement. The crew "sold ads and subscriptions to a paper that didn't exist," and quickly invested the money in producing their own newspaper. The Nation's Ensign was born.

Crowfoot and Buffalo Rider parted company in 1982 and Bert was enticed back to the Native People newspaper. This was short-lived because ANCS lost its federal and provincial funding because of financial mismanagement.

Bert and the former staff of the Native People newspaper got together to form the Aboriginal Multi Media Society of Alberta and submitted a proposal to the funding agencies. Their proposal was accepted and Windspeaker began publishing on March 18, 1983. On March 29, 1993, Windspeaker will celebrate its 10th birthday by publishing Canada's first national Native newspaper.

"We feel there is a need for a national Native newspaper in Canada, one which can unite all the First Nations," Crowfoot said.

Windspeaker has always tried to create its own category rather than be seen as just another Native newspaper.

"We didn't want to be seen as one of the many so we have positioned ourselves by setting high standards and producing a quality newspaper," Crowford said.

It's the staff who have made the newspaper successful, he added.

"We've had some very creative people on staff. We've always tried to provide a vehicle for our writers to grow and improve themselves.

"Every single person that's been here has left their mark on the organization. That's a key to why this organization is so strong, because we're flexible. If someone has a better idea, we'll use it."

Some former staff who have gone on to other endeavours include:

* Diane Meili, author of Those Who Know, a collection of portraits of Alberta elders, who now is a playwright.

* Former editor Rocky Woodward works for CBC as a television news reporter.

* Artist Kim McLain, a cartoonist who wanted to try his hand at newspaper design, garnered several awards for his work.

* Dana Wagg, who worked as both a reporter and editor, won a national newspaper award for investigative reporting for his coverage of the shooting of Cree trapper Leo LaChance by white supremacist Carney Nerland.

Some highlights of Windspeaker's 10 years include the first-hand reporting of the Oka conflict from behind the lines, the First Ministers Conference in 1987 and being with the Lonefighters on the Peigan reserve when they broke through to the Oldman River.

Windspeaker was the only Native media invited to travel along with Prince Andrew and Fergie on their visit to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. With a little help from the newspaper, Metis writer and historian Terry Lusty, a Windspeaker contributor at the time, produced a history book on the 100 years since Batoche. (Batoche is where Louis Riel and the Metis surrendered to Canadian government troops. Riels was hanged for treason.)

At the same time the newspaper was growing, the Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta, which publishes Windspeaker, was turning its attention to radio. In 1985, CFWE and the Native Perspective debuted. Because the government funding was for Northern Canada, the radio station soon relocated to Lac La Biche. It wasn't long before both Windspeaker and CFWE managed to buy the buildings they are housed in, another first for Native communications organizations, Crowfoot said. The radio continued to expand and soon established its own distribution network across northern Alberta using satellite technology.

Both Crowfoot and Ray Fox, director of radio for CFWE, were instrumental in th formation of the National Aboriginal Communications Society. Ray Fox is the current Chief Executive Officer of the national organization.

"It's always been a dream of ours to become self-sufficient and in 1987, Windspeaker set that as a goal."

Windspeaker continued to thrive and by 1990 employed about 18 people and published weekly. In 1990, the federal government eliminated the Native Communications Program and cut off all funds to Native newspapers.

Windspeaker was in year three of its five-year goal for self-sufficiency. The federal budget cuts put this goal on fast-forward and the result was immediate. Staff was cut in half and the paper published every two weeks.

The cuts didn't affect the paper's quality. Windspeaker continued to garner awards every year at the annual convention of the Native American Journalist's Association along with other awards for its excellent news reporting, photography, design and columnists.

Paid advertising and subscriptions now support the paper, whose circulation numbers will reach 43,000 with the first national edition. Crowfoot sees nothing but improvement for Windspeaker in the future. As he frequently tells his staff:

"Your potential is only limited by your initiative."