Indigenous storytellers in the film and television industry in Canada have been fighting for narrative sovereignty for decades. This struggle for rights, autonomy and self-determination is an extension of the larger fight for Indigenous sovereignty, as verified by treaty and in law.

Sovereignty is perhaps one of those things you don’t really think about until it’s threatened—and for Indigenous people, sovereignty in all its forms has been under attack for more than two centuries.

In recent months, Canadians are starting to see the imperative of fighting for our national sovereignty. They are starting to understand that narrative sovereignty is grounded in our actual sovereignty, and that storytelling is key to cultural independence and cultural autonomy. They are starting to feel what Indigenous peoples have been talking about this whole time and the urgency of this fight.

Over the last five years, Indigenous storytellers have experienced some long overdue opportunities, in large part due to new funding in the system for Indigenous screen content through the ISO. But behind that is decades of persistent advocacy by the Indigenous screen community and industry.

This advocacy has long been focused on narrative sovereignty: the ability to control the storytelling and receive the economic benefits that emerge from the content, wherever it is sold and distributed. Put another way, IP ownership is central to the definition of Indigenous content. And since the ISO, as a funder, doesn’t have the resources to support the entire Indigenous screen industry in creating that content, it is crucial that the entire industry is aligned on that definition. This means that money will flow to Indigenous storytellers and their companies, and that economic reconciliation will also be part of the conversation around narrative sovereignty.

At the ISO’s latest CRTC intervention in May 2025, the ISO argued strongly against proposed cuts to programs of national interest (PNI), which we believe will lead to a devastating loss of support for Canadian long-form documentaries and drama. These types of national programs are critical vehicles for Indigenous storytelling and narrative sovereignty and are already at risk in an increasingly consolidated and homogenized market.

The argument we have been making for the necessity for narrative sovereignty, as well as ownership and control, in the Indigenous context is clearly just as urgent for the broader Canadian broadcasting ecosystem, of which we are an important part.

We have seen the benefits and rewards of prioritizing and investing in Indigenous storytelling and talent: what emerges are compelling stories that people are excited about and want to watch. Take the new series North of North—a great example of unique contemporary storytelling with a universal global appeal, and a demonstration of the broadcasting system coming together as an ecosystem to support a project.

ISO is thrilled that we have eight of our funded feature films at TIFF this year, showcasing the breadth of talent of the Indigenous filmmaking community. These films come from across Canada, from a diversity of Indigenous peoples and nations, and exemplify the expansive possibilities of Indigenous storytelling, innovation and leadership, all of which are more urgent than ever.

Kerry Swanson is the CEO of the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), an independent funding organization serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis screen-based creators across Canada. She is a member of Michipicoten First Nation, with familial ties to Chapleau Cree First Nation.