Freedom of Information session at the 2023 NAJA/IJA conference in Winnipeg

The U.S. Freedom of Information Act and the Canadian Access to Information Act give all citizens the right to request government information. But it’s not always an easy process. Once it’s broken down into steps, anyone can file a claim. The records can be used for research or the public good of Indigenous communities, including expanding knowledge of treaties, sovereignty, boarding schools, environmental rights, public health; first amendment rights, civil rights, criminal justice reform and more.

Presenters: Jodi Rave Spotted Bear (Mandan-Hidatsa, Lakota), Founder and Director, Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance and Society of Professional Journalists FOIA Committee Chair; Francisco Vara-Orta, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Investigative Reporters & Editors; Dillon Bergin, Data Reporter, MuckRock