Connie Walker (journalist) facts for kids

Connie Walker is a Cree journalist from Canada. She has won a Pulitzer Prize for her important work. She uses her skills to tell stories about Indigenous people and issues.

Early Life and Education

Connie Walker grew up in the Okanese First Nation in Saskatchewan. She comes from a very large and close family. She has 13 brothers and sisters. Her parents also have many family members. Connie has one daughter.

While studying, Connie received a special scholarship. This scholarship allowed her to work as an intern at CBC Newsworld. She studied journalism at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College. Later, she also graduated from the University of Regina.

A Career in Journalism

Connie Walker started her journalism journey early. She wrote an article for her high school newspaper. It was about a young First Nations woman who was murdered. Connie wanted to show how the investigation and news reports were unfair.

Working in Television

From 2000 to 2002, Connie was a host for Street Cents. This was a TV show for young people. It taught them about money and how to understand the media. She worked on the show while she was still a student.

After finishing school, Connie joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). She hosted a show called Living Saskatchewan. She also worked as a reporter and producer for CBC News: Sunday and the main news show The National. In 2009, she became a reporter for Connect with Mark Kelley.

In 2013, Connie helped create 8th Fire. This was a documentary series about modern Indigenous life in Canada. In December 2013, she became the main reporter for the CBC's Indigenous reporting team.

Giving Indigenous Voices a Platform

Connie believes that news often focuses on sad stories. She wants to give more context to these stories. She also wants to increase the number of Indigenous voices in the news. This helps people better understand Indigenous communities.

Connie has spoken about how news coverage can be unfair. She noticed a big difference in how two young girls who disappeared were reported. This showed her the need for better and more balanced reporting.

In 2015, Connie created a radio program. It was called "Connie Walker and the firsthand legacy of residential schools." In this program, she shared her family's experiences with residential schools. These schools caused great harm to Indigenous children. One of the last residential schools was near her home. Connie learned that her grandparents were survivors of this system. She reported on the Truth and reconciliation commission's work to heal from this past.

Award-Winning Podcasts

Connie Walker is well-known for her investigative podcasts.

Missing and Murdered Series

In 2016, CBC News released Connie's eight-part podcast, Missing and Murdered. This podcast looked into the murder of Alberta Williams in 1989. She was murdered along the Highway of Tears in British Columbia.

In 2018, Connie launched the second season of Missing and Murdered. This season focused on finding out what happened to Cleopatra Nicotine Semaganis. She was taken from her family as part of the Sixties Scoop. This was a time when many Indigenous children were removed from their homes.

Stolen: The Search for Jermain

In February 2021, Connie launched another podcast series. It was called Stolen: The Search for Jermain. This podcast investigated the case of Jermain Charlo. Jermain was a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman from the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana.

Connie Walker later left the CBC. She now works for Gimlet Media.

Awards and Recognition

Connie Walker's work has earned her many awards.

• In 2009, her documentary Okanese received an honourable mention. This film was about the community where she grew up.
• In 2016, Connie and her team at CBC won two Canadian Association of Journalists awards. They won for their work on the "Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls" website.
• The YWCA honoured Connie as one of their "Women of Distinction" in 2017.
• Her podcast Missing & Murdered: Who Killed Alberta Williams was nominated for a Webby Award in 2017.
• In 2018, Connie was recognized on Open Canada's list of influential Indigenous voices on Twitter.
• Also in 2018, Missing and Murdered: Finding Cleo won "best serialized story" at the Third Coast International Audio Festival.
• In 2023, Connie Walker and her team at Gimlet Media won a Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting. This was for their podcast Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's.