The Indigenous Media Association of Canada (IMAC) is a national, Indigenous-led initiative representing broadcasters, journalists, publishers, and storytellers working across many other mediums. IMAC exists to strengthen the Indigenous media sector through advocacy, strengthened relationships, coordination, and long-term systems building.

IMAC was formally incorporated on January 6, 2025, marking an important step toward building a unified national presence for Indigenous media. While Indigenous media organizations have grown in strength, reach, and impact, there has never been a national body dedicated to representing the sector as a whole. As a result, Indigenous media has often been excluded from key policy and funding discussions, and has not had equitable access to resources within Canada’s media landscape. IMAC exists to change that.

We serve Indigenous journalists, broadcasters, publishers, and storytellers across Turtle Island, including those working in community radio, print and digital journalism, podcasting, film, and on social media platforms and other emerging forms of media. IMAC reflects the interconnected nature of Indigenous storytelling and rejects the fragmentation often imposed by mainstream funding and policy structures.

IMAC’s work focuses on strengthening the conditions for a sustainable and thriving Indigenous media sector. This includes advocating for equitable and Indigenous-specific funding, participating in federal policy discussions, convening national conversations, and supporting coordination across organizations and regions. We convene national conversations, participates in policy discussions, and advocates for equitable funding and support for Indigenous media.

IMAC operates through an Indigenous-led, relational approach grounded in accountability to community and to one another. This work is rooted in the principles of sovereignty, kinship, and the inherent right of Indigenous Peoples to tell our own stories. IMAC prioritizes collaboration, long-term relationships, and collective advancement across the sector.

IMAC’s work is aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including Article 16, which affirms the right of Indigenous Peoples to establish and control their own media and to access all forms of media without discrimination.

IMAC has emerged from within the sector itself, shaped by the experience of Indigenous media leaders who have built and sustained organizations over many years, often with limited and unstable funding. This work is grounded in those realities and in a shared commitment to ensuring that Indigenous media is recognized, supported, and resourced as an essential part of Canada’s media landscape.