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The Indian Communication Arts (INCA) program was established as a pilot project in 1982, with a donation from the Donner Foundation. The original directors of INCA were Susan and Joel Demay.
The current coordinator is Shannon Avison, who took the INCA program from 1986 to 1988 and went on to do freelance work for Doug Cuthand at theSaskatchewan Indian, the Regina-Leader-Post, the Northern Miner and the Northern Affairs Secretariat, before joining the INCA faculty in 1989.
“In 1989, when I started, there were very few Indigenous people in the media,” says Shannon. “Now there are lots and most of them are connected to INCA–as students and grads, teachers, employers and mentors.”
Indigenous Communication Arts specializes in journalism and public relations. The program is focused on an introduction to the field of media. Students studying Indigenous Communication Arts will have the opportunity to improve their interpersonal skills, public speaking skills, and learn about other disciplines and cultures in an exciting hands-on atmosphere.
To qualify for admission to INCA, students must be eligible for admission to the First Nations University of Canada/University of Regina. Proficiency in English is a requirement, along with basic computer skills. Students have chosen this program because:
- It allows them to tell stories
- It improves on their professional skills
- It helps them become a public voice for their people
- There is a great demand for First Nations and Métis people in media organizations
Alumni have gone on to work with with major broadcast and print media, including APTN, CBC, Global, CTV, Rawlco Radio, Missinipi Broadcasting Corporation, Eagle Feather News and Regina Leader-Post.
INCA offers the following programs:
A four-year Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Journalism and Communication Arts, for students seeking the base qualification for a long-term career in journalism and communications. The degree program, which begins in September 2024, will be the first of its kind in North America, offering a full degree credential within an Indigenous-led learning environment, with a focus on understanding Indigenous issues and languages in addition to advanced media skills.
A two-year Bachelor of Indigenous Journalism and Communication Arts provides an accelerated path to our degree program for students who already have a B.A.
A two-year diploma program that prepares students for entry-level work in the communications industry, including Aboriginal and mainstream media (print, broadcast, and web), and public relations. The two-year diploma is a 72-credit-hour program (24 classes). Beyond journalism classes, the INCA program requires courses in Indian history and politics, oral traditions, community-based research, business management, traditional and contemporary communication systems, strategic communication planning, languages and art.
A one-year 30-credit-hour certificate, primarily designed for students who wish to learn remotely and apply their new media skills in their home communities across Canada. Students engage in a full range of multimedia storytelling in theory and practice. Community-based internships are supported and students come together for a six-week intensive in-person learning experience in the summer. Through internships and career mentoring, they graduate with career prospects in digital media creation, journalism, social media management, design, among other communications-focused fields.
Every second summer, we offer the INCA Summer Institute in Journalism (INCA 200). INCA 200 is a 3-week crash-course immersion in all things journalism. All students and interested members of the public are welcome to apply.
Read more about our programs and courses.
Careers Include:
- Journalism
- Public Relations
- Business and Technology
