Winner of Aboriginal Journalism Fellowship announced

Chantelle Bellrichard, winner of the inaugural CJF Aboriginal Journalism Fellowship 

Last December, CBC News announced a significant upgrade to the way we cover First Nations, Mtis and Inuit issues when we launched a new digital service, CBC.ca/Aboriginal.

We've seen that investment pay off already. Our journalists have provided context around big political debates such as the First Nations Education Act. They've offered insight on all the intrigue at the Assembly of First Nations, and who might lead it next. And they've introduced our audience to fascinating people such as Makayla Sault, the 10-year-old girl from Ontario who chose traditional medicine over chemotherapy to fight her leukemia.

Now, we've partnered with the Canadian Journalism Foundation for the inaugural CJF Aboriginal Journalism Fellowship. The idea is to give a young aboriginal journalist the opportunity to explore an issue in greater depth, while benefitting from a month of mentorship and experience with our CBC.ca/Aboriginal team, based in Winnipeg.

The first winner has been announced, and her name is Chantelle Bellrichard. You can read the CJF announcement for all the details. Bellrichard plans to explore issues related to health care in First Nations communities.

CBC News is proud to be part of this fellowship, and to offer an opportunity for a young aboriginal journalist to learn from our team and work on a project that has depth and resonance.