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2. Red Rising Magazine / Winnipeg Free Press (Tie)

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2.    Red Rising Magazine / Winnipeg Free Press (Tie)
3.    The Manitoban


Red Rising Magazine, a collectively run, Indigenous-led magazine, has exciting things to come in the new year.

The Uniter spoke with Victoria Redsun, who is Denesuline and Nehitho from Brochet, Man. and a collective member of Red Rising.

Red Rising put out its first issue in October 2015, with the intention of making space for Indigenous voices in the media. Redsun explains that “we kept seeing things that were misrepresenting who we were as people. It was the three Ds: drunk, dead or dancing.”

The collective has certainly been successful since 2015. They have put out nine issues in the past four years, effectively creating an unfiltered space where Indigenous folks are able to tell their stories and challenge one-dimensional media portrayals of their lives.

Redsun says now they are “moving towards a more Indigenous-youth-mentorship focus.

“A lot of people in the collective are older now,” they explain. “They’re in their late 20s, and now we’re mentoring younger Indigenous youth who are 13, 14, any age, (so they can develop) the skills to create this magazine.”

Redsun says the next chapter of Red Rising will include a focus on their Indigenous education curriculum, which was created out of individual works from the various issues of the magazine and is accessible and all youth-focused.

“The curriculum has been purchased by universities and school divisions across Canada and overseas as well, to put into parts of their courses for youth to learn from a culturally relevant perspective ... It’s a really great curriculum.”

In addition to this focus on youth and education, Red Rising will continue to put out issues of the magazine. Their next issue, Issue 10: Matriarchy, is coming this winter.

Published in Volume 74, Number 12 of The Uniter (November 28, 2019)

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