This week on APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens examines the growing threat of residential school denialism in Canada.

Once confined to the internet’s fringes, denialism has entered the mainstream with public speeches, book deals and online followings that continue to grow. Some deny the racist and genocidal legacy of residential schools, others call unmarked grave findings a hoax.

Survivors like Jennifer Wood say denialism is nothing new, it’s something they’ve lived with for decades.

But a new generation is pushing back.

Benjamin Kucher, a Métis archaeology graduate student at the University of Alberta, is one of the them speaking out. Alongside Métis activist Tracey Leost, he’s calling on Ottawa to treat residential school denialism as hate speech and take concrete steps to stop its spread.

Kucher joins us to talk about their calls to action and why confronting denialism is critical to reconciliation.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

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As summer winds down - hosts, producers and reporters at APTN News are ramping up.

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, we get a first look at what’s coming up this season from three of our award-winning shows: Face to Face, Investigates and Nation to Nation.

Face to Face Host Dennis Ward joins us to talk about the upcoming 300-episode milestone and what he’s got planned for the season opener on Sept. 30.

Then, APTN Investigates producer Cullen Crozier gives us a preview of the show’s 17th season. The team is back with hard-hitting stories across the country.

And in Ottawa, long time journalist Karyn Pugliese takes the helm of Nation to Nation. She shares what it's like to be just blocks from Parliament Hill and how she’ll be covering the political landscape.

From truth-seeking journalism to political deep dives, this season of current affairs shows is one to look forward to.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores one Red River Métis family’s mission to help save the Michif language.

Grant, Ben and Aynsley Anderson are the creators of Save Michif, a project developed through funding from Heritage Canada and the Manitoba Métis Federation. The father, son and daughter trio from Manitoba are using digital tools and Elder-led recordings to help revitalize their ancestral tongue.

Michif, which blends French nouns with Cree verbs and structure, has just a handful of fluent speakers left. Among them is Elder Norman Fleury, who lends his voice to the Andersons’ flashcard sets and learning materials.

Grant and Ben Anderson join us to talk about the urgency of language preservation and how they’re working to ensure future generations can carry Michif forward.

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APTN National News, our stories told our way.

Visit our website for more: https://aptnnews.ca

Hear more APTN News podcasts: https://www.aptnnews.ca/podcasts/