November 30, 2023

TREATY 1 TERRITORY, WINNIPEG, Man. — APTN’s award-winning news team, APTN National News, is launching a five-part podcast series titled Our Relatives which unpacks the multifaceted reasons for the homelessness crisis in Winnipeg and shares the stories of the people who are directly affected by it. 

For the past three months, journalist Kathleen Martens and social media editor Jesse Andrushko have been interviewing people living in bus shelters, alleyways, parks, sidewalks and in Winnipeg’s shelter system. Each story shared with them revealed another layer of complexity surrounding this rapidly growing community in Winnipeg. 

“Many people have travelled from northern Indigenous nations for school, medical care or work,” explains Martens. “While here they experience different challenges. Whether it’s not being able to find a job or an affordable place to live, or missing their family support system, more and more vulnerable people are finding themselves on the streets.” 

Our Relatives delves into the reasons for the ongoing over-representation of Indigenous peoples without a roof over their heads and, most importantly, it pushes past the stigmas and amplifies their voices. 

The first episode of Our Relatives launches on Friday, December 1. You can find the podcast series at aptnnews.ca/podcasts or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. 

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About APTN National News
APTN National News is the first Indigenous television journalism team in Canada and in the world. Since 2000, it has been offering award-winning news stories on Indigenous Peoples. APTN National News has reporters in all regions of the country and features stories that have been overlooked, underreported or misunderstood by mainstream media. 

About APTN
APTN launched in 1999 as the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world. Since then, the network has become a global leader in programming that celebrates the rich diversity of Indigenous Peoples across Turtle Island and beyond. A respected non-profit and charitable broadcaster, APTN shares authentic stories in English, French and a variety of Indigenous languages with nearly 10 million Canadian households. APTN proudly features over 80% Canadian content and inspires audiences via multiple platforms, including its Indigenous-focused streaming service, APTN lumi.

Media Contact:
Joëlle Saltel
Manager of Communications, APTN
(431) 557-9909
[email protected]