Sask. Indigenous newspaper halts publishing after 27 years

Eagle Feather News is the latest media outlet to fall on hard times, and will no longer publish its newspaper.

“Sadly, the Eagle Feather team is announcing that after almost 27 years, we are on hiatus,” editor Kerry Benjoe announced Monday on the outlet’s website.

The news follows the massive cuts announced by Bell Media earlier in the month.

Benjoe said the newspaper’s ad revenue has dried up since the introduction of the Online News Act, which led to Meta blocking the sharing of Canadian news stories on its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

“Ad sales is our bread and butter,” Benjoe said.

“For those who don’t know, advertising is how we are able to pay our writers to produce the content for our monthly paper and our website. These funds also pay for our printing and shipping costs, as well as all other operating expenses.”

According to its website, Eagle Feather News is the most widely circulated Indigenous newspaper in Saskatchewan. It produces 11 issues per year and 10,000 copies per issue, but didn’t print an edition in January or February.

Benjoe says she’s stepping aside from her editorial duties to focus on keeping the business afloat. She said moving the paper online may be the easiest option, but it’s hampered by an outdated website.

“I remain hopeful we will return in some format because our Indigenous stories are important and are essential to building community,” she stated. “We need a space to celebrate our accomplishments, our role models, our hard work, and our advancements.”