Investigates
116 episodes - English - Latest episode: 26 days ago -APTN Investigates is the first Indigenous investigative news program in Canada, offering viewers hard-hitting reports and stories.
Produced by award-winning journalists, APTN Investigates is committed to seeking the truth for our people.
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Episodes
Orphans of Church and State
June 21, 2024 22:30 - 25 minutes - 47.9 MBWhen it comes to institutional child abuse in Canada, Quebec's Duplessis Orphans are considered second only to residential schools. Some Duplessis Orphans are Indigenous—and time is running out for justice to be done.
Some Assembly Required
June 19, 2024 17:38 - 23 minutes - 22.5 MBThe Assembly of First Nations is the top rung of Indigenous governance. But behind closed doors, the AFN has been plagued by infighting and power struggles. APTN Investigates looks at the challenges facing Indigenous governance, from pre-contact to today.
Secrets of the Bay - Chapter 3
June 07, 2024 22:30 - 26 minutes - 25 MBIn 2015, two Mohawk fishermen drowned. Police claimed they were stealing fish, took too many and the boat sank. Police didn't bother to test these claims. So we did and used the same boat.
Wrecking Crew
May 31, 2024 22:30 - 24 minutes - 46.2 MBLife in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside has been devastating for people just trying to survive. Wars on the poor. Wars on drugs. Crisis after crisis for the unhoused. In their own words, residents tell APTN Investigates' Rob Smith their tales of survival.
Beyond the Strip
May 10, 2024 22:30 - 25 minutes - 24.5 MBThe Manwin Hotel in Winnipeg has been a hub for drugs and violence. It was the scene of two homicides in the last year. But with a lack of housing, it’s also become a last resort for the city’s vulnerable population.
Lost Spirit
May 03, 2024 22:30 - 25 minutes - 47.3 MBStanley Morris Peters was killed in a hit and run in 1987 near the community of Mount Currie B.C. and his body has never been found. More than 35 years later, his family continues to search for answers — and believes someone knows what happened.
Inside the Band Office: Stonewalled
April 19, 2024 22:30 - 25 minutes - 47.2 MBMembers of a First Nation in Alberta say urgent action is needed to increase financial transparency in their community. Court documents raise suspicions of how band money is spent, while Elders are forced off-reserve after their house is condemned.
Inside the Band Office: Peters' Indian Problem
April 12, 2024 22:30 - 25 minutes - 47.4 MBA band council in the Fraser Valley has been found guilty of unlawfully denying band membership and writing themselves blank cheques. Yet, council remains in power as elders die waiting for justice. Kenneth Jackson returns to a story he first broke in 2017.
Jail Town
March 08, 2024 22:30 - 25 minutes - 47.5 MBA Saskatchewan government report on the Prince Albert Police is kept secret. Deaths mount at corrections facilities around town. Christopher Read investigates policing and corrections in a community with a large Indigenous population — and a lot of jails, too.
Return to Algonquin Country
March 01, 2024 23:30 - 25 minutes - 48.6 MBCenturies-old errors and weak enrolment criteria have put thousands of Algonquin membership claims in doubt. After an internal investigation, APTN Investigates returns to Algonquin country — and we meet a family navigating the fallout.
Food for Profit
February 23, 2024 23:30 - 52 minutes - 49.2 MBThe sharp rise in food prices hit even harder in the North. In a joint investigation with CBC’s The Fifth Estate, Brittany Guyot visits families and experts in the North to find out the reason why their grocery bills are so high, and what needs to happen next.
The Disappearance of Frank Gruben
December 08, 2023 23:30 - 25 minutes - 46.9 MBThis past spring, 30-year-old Gwich’in and Inuvialuk man Frank Gruben vanished without a trace from the small town of Fort Smith, NT. His disappearance has sparked concern over how the territory handles missing persons cases.
Liquid Law
November 27, 2023 21:01 - 24 minutes - 57 MBThere’s a new Canada Water Act in the works, and the Trudeau government says Indigenous rights will be bolstered. APTN Investigates takes a look at what that might mean – especially for communities where clean water has been something they’ve had to fight for.
Working 118th
October 27, 2023 22:30 - 23 minutes - 44.7 MBA gust of wind drifts through the prairie grass and into the city of Edmonton. A peaceful setting until you learn the history of the area. The rural city limits have long been an informal resting ground in Alberta’s capital city, where dozens of missing women’s remains have been located, many of whom worked in the sex industry. Thirty-seven women have been found in rural areas outside of the city. The rural outskirts of the city have been referred to as the “killing fields” by sex worker...
People of the Dawn
October 20, 2023 22:30 - 23 minutes - 22.9 MBAfter decades of lobbying, four communities in Vermont have been recognized by the state as Abenaki. But Abenaki in Quebec are calling the process flawed... and alleging that the groups are committing cultural identity theft on their ancestral territory.
Secrets of the Bay – Part 2
October 13, 2023 22:30 - 24 minutes - 44.8 MBThere are still more questions than answers regarding the mysterious deaths of two Mohawk fishermen on the Bay of Quinte. APTN Investigates reporter Kenneth Jackson meets with families and community members to clear the air, fill in gaps in the police investigations – and face some difficult truths.
Secrets of the Bay – Part 1
October 06, 2023 22:30 - 23 minutes - 44.9 MBTwo Mohawk fishermen went fishing on the Bay of Quinte eight years ago. They never came home. Police ruled that their deaths were accidental, but the families believe they were killed. APTN Investigates reporter Kenneth Jackson sets out to discover what really happened that night.
Identity Check
May 26, 2023 22:30 - 25 minutes - 46.9 MBThe move is on to remove people whose claims to Algonquin citizenship are based on questionable information. But legitimate Algonquin are asking themselves, has political and cultural damage already been done?
Voices of the Landfill
May 19, 2023 22:30 - 25 minutes - 47.1 MBThe remains of Indigenous women in Winnipeg landfills sparked outrage. Reporter Brittany Guyot speaks to those affected and uncovers just how many Indigenous women have gone missing or murdered in recent years in the city.
Stolen
May 12, 2023 22:30 - 22 minutes - 42 MBTwo Indigenous mothers are seeking answers. Allegedly, staff at Saskatchewan hospitals told them that their babies died shortly after birth. Years later, there’s evidence these babies may have survived. The families tell Investigates’ Christopher Read that they’re now hoping for a reunion with their stolen children.
Nuclear North
May 05, 2023 22:30 - 23 minutes - 44.8 MBIf we’re in a war against climate change, then Canada’s north is arguably on the front line of that battle. Reporter Christopher Read recently went to the Yukon to look at efforts to reduce the number of diesel generators.
Inside Corrections: The Prison Within
March 31, 2023 22:30 - 24 minutes - 45 MBThey are polar opposites of Canada’s correctional system. On one side, a supermax prison is criticized for extreme isolation, excessive confinement, and no services. On the other, an Indigenous healing lodge with cultural services and many empty beds. Find out who ends up where in The Prison Within.
Inside Corrections: The Long Road Home
March 24, 2023 22:30 - 24 minutes - 45.9 MBFor years, APTN Investigates has been following the story of Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance. The Saulteaux sisters were convicted of the second-degree murder of Anthony Dolff in 1994. Their cousin admitted to killing the farmer. Still, the sisters were put in prison where they’ve been – for the most part – for nearly 30 years.
Inside Corrections: Hard Time
March 17, 2023 22:30 - 23 minutes - 43.9 MBJohn Derek Mills is a Cree man from Waterhen First Nation. He’s a ’60s Scoop survivor with a long juvenile record. A life of crime culminated in a botched armed robbery in 1996. Originally sentenced to seven years, Mills is still behind bars nearly three decades later. He feels he has fallen through every crack in the justice system.
Inside Corrections: 2180 Days
March 10, 2023 22:30 - 23 minutes - 44.2 MBAlthough solitary confinement was abolished in 2019, it continues to operate under different names. Joey Toutsaint estimates he has spent more than 2180 days in isolation. And he says every day has been a battle to overcome his thoughts of suicide. APTN Investigates is taking viewers inside corrections facilities to see what’s really behind the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s justice system. See the four-part series here: aptnnews.ca/insidecorrections
Buried Truths
January 27, 2023 23:30 - 24 minutes - 46.5 MBThere's a silent epidemic of sexual abuse in First Nation communities across Treaty 3 territory in northwestern Ontario. APTN speaks to survivors who say the only way to stop it is by talking about it.
Noah's Story
January 20, 2023 23:30 - 22 minutes - 42.1 MBIt was meant to be the largest settlement agreement in history. Forty billion dollars for Indigenous children who have suffered in Canada’s child welfare and health care systems. Noah, now 21 years old, is among the leaders in this fight for dignity, compensation and the well-being of future generations.
Sinixt Nation: A Story of Extinction and Baskets
December 02, 2022 23:30 - 24 minutes - 46.1 MBMarilyn James has fought for recognition for her people for three decades, facing opposition every step of the way. The feds consider her people extinct. BC courts ruled she has no standing. And now her cousins south of the border have a supreme court victory granting hunting rights. Members have frozen her out. Denouncing her claims as false. Her story is one of genocide, identity and baskets.
Root Causes
November 25, 2022 23:30 - 23 minutes - 43.7 MBViolence on the streets of Winnipeg is at an all-time high with random attacks and murders. APTN Investigates goes right to the root of the problem through the lives of former gang members and finds a message of hope that things can change.
Reawakening the Mountains
November 18, 2022 23:30 - 24 minutes - 46.5 MBNuxalk people want to protect their pristine ecosystem and stop mining exploration. To do so they’re employing a unique tactic - placing totem poles in the mountains as a warning to outsiders.
Black Robes
October 21, 2022 22:30 - 24 minutes - 46.1 MBAPTN journalist Brittany Guyot identifies alleged Catholic Church abusers who worked at various residential schools and in Indigenous communities. She speaks with survivors and a priest who left the country after charges were brought forward.
Exposed
October 14, 2022 22:30 - 23 minutes - 43.2 MBIn the quiet border town of Fort Frances, Ontario, women and children are being sexually exploited and too often by the very people and institutions that are supposed to protect them. APTN Investigates speaks to the victims, identifies convicted sex offenders and alleged abusers.
ᑳᓯᓇᒪᑫᐃᐧᐣ The Pope’s Apology
October 07, 2022 21:30 - 24 minutes - 45.1 MBThis summer, Pope Francis apologized for the role the Catholic church played in Canada’s Indian residential school system. APTN Investigates takes a look back at the historic apology and speaks with survivors about a path forward.
Climate Disaster: An Oral History
June 03, 2022 21:30 - 24 minutes - 45.1 MBWe are all climate disaster survivors. That's the belief of the creators of the Climate Emergency Project – a nationwide network of academics, journalists, and students who are creating an oral history of victims of climate change disasters. In B.C., APTN Investigates teamed up with Megaphone Magazine, The University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria to help tell the stories of climate disaster survivors from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Business as Usual - Part 2
May 27, 2022 21:30 - 24 minutes - 46.5 MBThere have been renewed calls for the disbanding of the Thunder Bay Police Service. For more than two decades, the embattled police force has been criticized for their mishandling of sudden death cases involving Indigenous people.
Business as Usual - Part 1
May 23, 2022 21:30 - 24 minutes - 46.2 MBFor more than two decades, the Thunder Bay Police Service has come under fire for their mishandling of sudden death cases involving Indigenous people. APTN Investigates meets with families and community leaders that are still seeking justice.
Decolonizing Museums – Part 3
May 13, 2022 21:30 - 25 minutes - 46.8 MBAPTN Investigates first reported in 2021 on the push for museums to decolonize and also repatriate Indigenous belongings and ancestors. In this update, Christopher Read takes you inside efforts to retrieve a Nuxalk totem pole currently in the possession of the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Hope in the Downtown Eastside
May 09, 2022 21:30 - 24 minutes - 45.6 MBLast year, more than 2,200 British Columbians died from toxic overdoses, according to the BC Coroner Service. Ann Marie Sexton’s son, Chad, was one of the many people who died in 2021. Now she’s fighting to help her younger son enter recovery.
Wet’suwet’en Invasions
April 29, 2022 21:30 - 23 minutes - 44.4 MBThree militarized police actions in support of pipeline megaprojects have taken place on Wet’suwet’en traditional territory in the last seven years. The Wet’suwet’en call them invasions. On this episode, Rob Smith takes you inside their battle against pipelines and shows you why they keep putting their bodies on the line.
What Happens Next?
April 22, 2022 21:30 - 24 minutes - 45.9 MBThe discovery of unmarked graves on residential school grounds raises a lot of questions. Why weren’t survivors believed when they testified about the graves? Is there more evidence that the churches or Ottawa haven’t disclosed? Can the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement be re-opened? APTN Investigates finds the answers.
Defending the Land
April 15, 2022 21:30 - 23 minutes - 44.7 MBCrime and policing are big issues in rural Alberta. The provincial government is looking at ways to improve response times, including a study that will look into the creation of a provincial police force. Alberta has three Indigenous police departments. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled in February 2022 that Ottawa’s First Nation Policing Program is discriminatory in its funding. APTN Investigates explores how a provincial police transition and the recent CHRT ruling could affect ...
Sharing the Land
April 08, 2022 21:30 - 25 minutes - 45.8 MBCree-Metis men Jacob Sansom and Maurice Cardinal had just finished a moose hunt when police say they were confronted and shot on a northeastern Alberta backroad by two non-Indigenous men. Now, those two men stand accused of murder and a family is left to struggle with the loss of two knowledge keepers and family providers. APTN Investigates met with the family and visited the backroads that many say are scary for Indigenous people.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Men – Part 2
February 04, 2022 22:30 - 23 minutes - 44.8 MBAn APTN Investigation reveals a staggering number of missing and murdered Indigenous men and boys across the country. With the prairie provinces seeing the highest numbers, reporter Brittany Guyot speaks with the families impacted in Manitoba.
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Men – Part 1
January 28, 2022 22:30 - 24 minutes - 45.7 MBAPTN Investigates reporter, Brittany Guyot, reveals numerous Indigenous men and boys have been murdered or vanished along the infamous Highway of Tears. Several families in Prince George say they want to see a national inquiry to look deeper into the issues Indigenous men and boys face.
Next Chapters: Questionable Practice and Seeing Home
December 03, 2021 22:30 - 24 minutes - 45.1 MBThe stories don’t stop when the cameras go away. Melissa Ridgen updates her report about a Saskatchewan doctor’s unprofessional conduct related to prescribing opioids. Brittany Guyot shares the next chapter in the Winnipeg Art Gallery’s display of Inuit art produced in tuberculosis hospitals.
Nuclear Revival
November 26, 2021 22:30 - 24 minutes - 46.4 MBAPTN Investigates reported in 2020 on the search for a community that would be willing to house radioactive waste. With nuclear power back in the spotlight as a carbon-free energy source, there have been several new developments.
Episode #6 – November 19, 2021
November 19, 2021 22:30 - 22 minutes - 43 MBSexual exploitation crosses class, gender and race. Anyone can be a victim, but it’s often marginalized people that are most at risk. APTN Investigates looks at how this abuse is impacting the city of Kenora, Ontario and the vulnerable women who are exploited.
In Plain Sight – Part 1
November 12, 2021 22:30 - 24 minutes - 45.4 MBIn the city of Kenora, Ontario the sex trade is rooted in the streets and Indigenous women are the main target. But who are the people buying? APTN Investigates finds out and demands answers about what’s operating in plain sight.
Disenfranchised
October 29, 2021 21:30 - 23 minutes - 44.9 MBWhen you want to vote but can’t because your polling station is hours away, something is wrong. APTN’s Christopher Read takes a closer look at barriers encountered by Indigenous voters in the 2021 federal election, with a focus on Kenora.
Cindy’s Justice
October 22, 2021 21:30 - 24 minutes - 45.1 MBThere have been new developments since we originally aired Melissa Ridgen’s Cindy’s Story in 2017. In a new feature on APTN Investigates, we’re providing updated information on past stories. Bradley Barton was originally acquitted of a manslaughter charge in the death of Metis and Cree woman Cindy Gladue in an Edmonton hotel. But that was not the end of the story.