b'JOURNALISMJOURNALISMTruth-telling on the JOURNEYS national stageBy Andrew St. GermainW ithin an industryan unwavering commitment to truth,realizing her true calling: telling stories long dominated byrepresentation and justice. Through theirthat matter, especially those often silenced. colonial narratives,work, these remarkable women not only Indigenous womenreport the newsthey redefine who getsAfter a chance encounter with a pion-journalists are reclaiming space andto tell it and how it gets told. eering Indigenous talent agent, House reshaping the stories told on nationaldove headfirst into Vancouvers entertain-stages. Three such trailblazers haveTINA HOUSE, MTIS, VIDEOment industry, eventually launching her shared their journeys with us, who eachJOURNALIST AT APTN own talent agency, House of Talent, by carry the weight and the wisdom of livedTina House never set out to become athe age of 21. But it wasnt long before she experience, generational resilience andjournalist. Born in Vancouver and raisedwas behind the camera herself, teaching the generations to follow. Their pathsin northern B.C. and the East Kootenays,herself how to shoot, edit and interview. I to journalism are as diverse as theirHouse followed a winding path throughdidnt know it back then, she says, but I communities but share a common thread:the film and television industry beforewas actually training to be a journalist.In 2007, House joined APTN, Canadas Indigenous broadcaster, as a video Tina House poses with herjournalist. With no formal training in Canadian Screen Award forjournalism but an instinct honed by Best National Reporter. experience and storytelling traditions, she quickly established herself as a force to be reckoned with. It was like, okay, heres your camera, heres your truck, heres your computer, and go, she recalls. So I did.Houses work is as intimate as it is impactful. In 2010, she won the Amnesty International Human Rights Journalism Award for an APTN Investigates documen-tary on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girlsone that included the story of her own cousin. For House, the process of retelling was a harrowing balance between personal grief and profes-sional duty. It was hard to switch from being a family member to a journalist, but I managed, she says.Today, House is APTN National News senior video journalist. She does it allshooting, writing, editing, reportingand often finds herself as the only Indigenous woman in the room. I love that part, she says. It means Im kicking down doors for my sisters and brothers.Yet, the work comes at personal cost. Covering residential school survivors, unmarked graves and systemic violence has taken a toll. I try to take time as much 16 Spring/Summer 2025'