b'COVER STORYCommunity Contributions Through Media By Charnel AndersonChief Dr. Robert Joseph receives first-of-its-kind awardC hief Dr. Robert Joseph,cannot circumvent a dialogue thats a staunch advocate forso important, says Joseph. Were residential school survivorslearning to communicate with each who has helped chart Canadas pathother again.towards reconciliation, knows the power of communication. AlongsideJoseph is the inaugural recipient ofPhoto credit: Felicia Greekas.co-founder Karen Jospeh, Chief Dr.NationTalks Chief Louis Stevenson Robert Joseph is founder and ambas- Media Award, designated for a Chiefanti-apartheid groupshighlighting the sador for Reconciliation Canada, awho has utilized media to further theircommunitys conditions that Stevenson non-profit charity seeking to promotecause. The honoured recipient willsaid included no running water or understanding of Canadas residentialreceive $5,000. The award is named forelectricity and poor heating of tumbling school system through gatheringsLouis Stevenson, who served as Chiefdown structures. and dialogue. As such, communi- of Peguis First Nation in Manitoba for cation is one of the main tools in26 years, and later as Grand Chief of theStevenson defended his controversial Josephstoolbox.Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. decision to invite Babb to Peguis First One of the approaches we foundIn 1987, Steveson invited Glenn Babb,Nation, saying, I have successfully extremely beneficial was applyinga diplomat for South Africas apartheidaccomplished drawing national, if not our notions and concepts of dialoguegovernment, to see the conditions ininternational attention to the plight of among all of us, every race thatsPeguis First Nation. During BabbsCanadas Native people by having Babb possibly present, explains Joseph in anvisit, Steveson requested $99 millionvisit my reserve. I know my decision interview with NationTalk. We discov- in foreign aid from the ambassador inwas not popular, but at least it lit a fire ered if we set an environment where wewhat he said was a strong attemptunder the provincial and federal govern-insist on it being safeand becauseto put pressure on Canadas federalments and the public at large in coming its Indigenous, its a sacred space asgovernment to make them thinkto terms to do something about the wellwe found all of the participantsabout cleaning up its own backyard,Indian issues.opened up. Windspeaker reports. Stevensons efforts as Chief of Peguis Joseph says its this dialogue thatDozens of reporters from Canada, theFirst Nation eventually led to a 2010 ultimately brings about the under- U.S. and South Africa joined Babb onland claim that resulted in 20,000 hect-standing and transformation neces- the tourwhich, like many of Babbsares of land and $118 million going to sary for reconciliation. We simplyappearances, was widely criticized bythe communitythe largest land claim 10 INDIGENOUS INNOVATORS, ICONS & INFLUENCERS |ISSUE 1, 2023'