PINEHOUSE, SK – Radio broadcaster Minahik Achimowin Inc. will receive $167,592 in funding from the federal government this year to support the production of up to 45 hours of radio programming per week, including 30 hours per week of new original content in the Michif-Cree language.
Rob Clarke, Member of Parliament for Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River, made the announcement Tuesday on behalf of Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
The programming will include daily news, weather, sports, health messages, storytelling, and interviews about community issues. The content will air on CFNK Radio 89.9 FM, which reaches an audience of approximately 1,400 listeners in Pinehouse, and 10 other Cree communities will also be able to stream the radio content online.
The funding is being provided through the Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting funding element of the Aboriginal Peoples' Program.
"By making Michif-Cree language heard in communities in central and northern Saskatchewan, Minahik Achimowin is contributing to its revitalization and preservation”, said Minister Clarke, in a statement. “This will benefit these communities today and for years to come."
"This support from the Government of Canada will help us promote our language through radio programs that are easily accessible and that incorporate the language into everyday life”, added Minahik Achimowin Inc. executive director Vince Natomagon. “We are very proud to be able to contribute to enhancing and preserving the Michif-Cree language."
