Indigenous Emergency Preparedness Campaign
Canada-wide
| March - June 2023
In the Spring of 2023, the Canadian Red Cross collaborated with Canada’s largest Indigenous-owned newswire, NationTalk, to co-develop an emergency preparedness campaign for the Inclusive Resilience Project. This campaign aimed to address the unique context of Indigenous communities and ensure representation in both media and message.
In partnership with First Nation communities in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland, community partners such as Tribal Councils, Friendship Centres, and community members developed campaign assets. These included photoshoots representing preparedness actions at the household and community level and radio announcements in Cree and English to raise awareness and accessibility. The campaign aimed to highlight Indigenous knowledge and strength in emergency preparedness. The produced assets showcased the diversity of location and remoteness, self-reliance, and intergenerational approaches.
NationTalk leveraged various modalities to reach First Nation communities, including sending 20,000 emails, airing 2,000 radio announcements on over 21 Indigenous radio stations, and publishing 15 printed and digital ads on media outlets serving Indigenous communities. They also sent ads via 3,500 faxes to reach remote communities. A temporary webpage with preparedness information in Cree, Dene, Ojibway, Oji-Cree, French, and English attracted nearly 1,300 visitors.
Through this specialized approach, the Canadian Red Cross took steps towards its commitment to reconciliation, recognizing First Nations’ self-determination in emergency preparedness and messaging.
Resources to explore:
Discover preparedness resources in multiple Indigenous languages
In partnership with First Nation communities in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland, community partners such as Tribal Councils, Friendship Centres, and community members developed campaign assets. These included photoshoots representing preparedness actions at the household and community level and radio announcements in Cree and English to raise awareness and accessibility. The campaign aimed to highlight Indigenous knowledge and strength in emergency preparedness. The produced assets showcased the diversity of location and remoteness, self-reliance, and intergenerational approaches.
NationTalk leveraged various modalities to reach First Nation communities, including sending 20,000 emails, airing 2,000 radio announcements on over 21 Indigenous radio stations, and publishing 15 printed and digital ads on media outlets serving Indigenous communities. They also sent ads via 3,500 faxes to reach remote communities. A temporary webpage with preparedness information in Cree, Dene, Ojibway, Oji-Cree, French, and English attracted nearly 1,300 visitors.
Through this specialized approach, the Canadian Red Cross took steps towards its commitment to reconciliation, recognizing First Nations’ self-determination in emergency preparedness and messaging.
Resources to explore:
Discover preparedness resources in multiple Indigenous languages