Congratulations –

NunaKakKaasimajut: First Peoples, First Occupants - Angus Andersen - CHMR - FM

NunaKakKaasimajut: First Peoples, First Occupants is an all-Indigenous radio program produced at CHMR-FM in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Hosted bilingually in Inuktitut and English, the program plays exclusively the music of Indigenous peoples, with a particular focus on the Indigenous peoples of Canada's north.

The show is hosted by Angus Andersen, a proud Inuk who's originally from Nain in Labrador. Before moving to St. John's, he was a radio host with the OK Society, which broadcasts regionally from Nain along the north coast of Labrador. He also worked in print and television journalism with the OK Society.

When he moved to St. John's, Angus was struck by the lack of Indigenous presence on mainstream media in the provincial capital. He approached local commercial radio stations, encouraging them to showcase more Indigenous music and programming, but there was no interest from the commercial stations. He approached CBC as well, and while CBC did showcase some Indigenous programming their overall broadcast schedule still lacked a strong local Indigenous component.

When Angus was interviewed for a news program on CHMR, he raised the issue with the local campus/community radio station, and was immediately put into a training class. Within days he was on the air, hosting his own radio program. The program has garnered a strong online listenership throughout Canada and abroad (including a large Indigenous listenership in Greenland), and has been featured on CBC and APTN news specials.

"I do what I can to pass on the history and knowledge of my people, through language classes, workshops, radio shows, one on one interaction, and various workshops," says Andersen. Andersen is chairperson of the St. John's Urban Inuit Committee, through which he organizes a community freezer program, Inuktitut language classes, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls information sessions, and helps provide support to medical patients coming to St. John's from Labrador. He's also put off workshops on Labrador Inuit history for the Canadian military (at CFB Gagetown), RCMP officers in St. John's, the Canadian Federation of Students - Newfoundland and Labrador, and helps put off a monthly storytelling gathering.

Check out the award-winning submission!