Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog on First Nations politics in British Columbia.

My name is Jenifer Norwell and I’m a freelance journalist working in print and broadcast in the Southern Interior of B.C. I’m in my final term of a journalism degree at Thompson River University in Kamloops, B.C. and work casually with CBC radio. 

I got interested in First Nations issues through my upbringing in northern B.C. and because of my time working with the CBC morning show out of Prince George, which broadcasts to the north of the province. In covering stories about First Nations people, I realized how important historical context is in accurately reporting stories. This blog is an attempt to explore some of the politics and background behind First Nations issues in B.C. — to look at why things happen and what happens next. I hope to look at issues like treaties, band politics, self-governance and the education system and how I relate to them. 

I want to create a dialogue between First Nations people and the journalists who cover them. Even with years of research, it can be hard for people living outside First Nations communities to fully understand First Nations politics and issues. I hope this blog can be a place where people can comment and converse in a respectful and insightful way on current realities and past histories that face First Nations people and the rest of the province.