MEDIUMS: INDIGENOUS VOICES IN MEDIA ESSENTIAL READS AND MORE BY INDIGENOUS AUTHORS AND STORYTELLERS BOOK A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt Billy-Ray Belcourt is a writer and academic from Driftpile Cree Nation in northwestern Alberta. His debut novel, A Minor Chorus, is about Indigenous survival and breaching the prisons we live inside. The novel is set in northern Alberta and follows an unnamed narrator who abandons academia and goes back home to the rez, where he has conversations focused on the modern queer and Indigenous experiences. In addition to being a contender on Canada Reads 2026, A Minor Chorus was longlisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize and was named a best book of 2022 by The Globe and Mail, CBC, ELLE Canada and more. Belcourt is a Griffin Poetry Prize-winning poet and author, as well as an associate professor in the School of Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. He has authored five other books, including This Wound Is a World and NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes from the Field. Issue 1 2026 – Chiefs of Ontario Advocate magazine 36 l MUSIC Now Is the Right Time of Year by Nadjiwan Now Is the Right Time of Year is a collection of eight original, unreleased songs by Nadjiwan, the musical project of Marc Meriläinen. Released only one year after The Mission, this album includes songs written over the course of Meriläinen’s career. Similar to his other music, Now Is the Right Time of Year blends the sounds of Indigenous music and storytelling. The single “Breaking the Dawn,” which was released on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2025, is included on the track list. This song speaks to the powerful turning point of the resurgence of Indigenous arts, entertainment, politics and activism. Now based in Toronto, Meriläinen is a member of Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. He started his musical career 30 years ago and blends traditional Indigenous storytelling with alternative rock music to create a unique sonic experience. BY ASHLEY ALBERT PODCAST See You in Court hosted by Falen Johnson See You in Court is a CBC podcast hosted by Falen Johnson that recounts court cases of lesser- known people who made history in Canada. Each week, Johnson teams up with a journalist to dig into court cases that challenged Canada. They also take a close look into the personal stories of the people at the centre of these court battles, many of whom were just regular people dragged into court fights to challenge the status quo. See You in Court was named one of Apple Podcasts’ best podcasts in 2025. Johnson is Mohawk and Tuscarora (Bear Clan) from Six Nations of the Grand River territory. She also co-hosts the podcast The Secret Life of Canada with Leah-Simone Bowen and was a guest host for Unreserved on CBC Radio. She has authored two books: Two Indians and Salt Baby. Artist photo credit: Laura Merilainen.
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