We are thrilled to announce that our documentary series Turning Points received a national Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the RTDNA’s small digital news organization category. Turning Points was co-created with the GRC and Indigenous storytellers from Yellowknife, N.W.T.  As part of our work to advance empowerment journalism, storytellers were directly involved at every stage of the production of the project. They shared the cultural, social, geographic and historical factors that pulled them into addiction and also their journeys to recovery. 

The series debuted in 2020 at a screening in Yellowknife, where friends, families and community members gathered to watch the documentary series. After it was shared with the community, it aired in partnership with PBS Newshour and was later used in a PBS Newshour lesson plan about the legacy of boarding schools in the U.S.

We are grateful for the time, commitment and generosity of the storytellers. We are proud to share this award with them.

This project was made possible thanks to generous funding and support from the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the University of British Columbia.