Tyee’s Amanda Follett Hosgood on Welcoming the Discomfort

The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter Amanda Follett Hosgood started her zoom chat with a show-and-tell of a beautiful cedar rose that her five-year-old daughter found while cleaning.

She then shared a story of a man in the Hazelton area who saw a burial ground of his ancestors unearthed by BC Hydro, at a site quite close to his home. Follett Hosgood had been working on a team that recovered the site in collaboration with the man’s community. After the work was done, the man gave Follett Hosgood the cedar rose, and to her it symbolized a generosity of spirit and welcoming. She hasn’t forgotten it.

In the latest addition of The Tyee’s interview series “Three Things,” Follett Hosgood shared her thoughts on home and working through discomfort with Tyee outreach manager Emma Cooper.

Follett Hosgood grew up in suburban Ontario and lived in Alberta for nine years before moving to Smithers, B.C. in 2006. She was intrigued by the vibrant local Indigenous culture in northern B.C., something she wasn't aware of where she was raised.

“There was just no recognition that we were on somebody’s territory or that it was Indigenous land at all,” said Follett Hosgood of other communities she’s lived in. In Smithers, she started to see glimpses of a different way of life and looking at things.

Throughout her time up north, many of her stories have involved Indigenous stories and sources, and she said the locals have generously shared their experiences with her. But she’s always approached a story knowing there’s much she doesn’t understand.

Her advice for other journalists in similar situations? “Be aware of what you don’t know about someone’s lived experience. That should be your starting point,” she said.

What we individually see stems so much from a colonial culture and systems — media, policing or government, for example — that we often tend to forget that there are other ways of doing things that are just as valid, she said.

“Maybe expand your mind a little bit to it [differing viewpoints]. You don’t even have to understand it. Just acknowledge it,” said Follett Hosgood.

Acknowledging and unlearning of colonial ways can be uncomfortable. As journalists, we try to represent people and their stories accurately. But there is always that space of looming difficult conversations and your own ignorance.

“Embrace the awkward,” said Follett Hosgood. “You may not end up with the answer you’re looking for at the end of that [uncomfortable] conversation, but you’re going to end up with some clarity moving forward. And there’s going to be a big weight lifted off you.”

Having reported extensively on the Wet’suwet’en arrests earlier this year, Follett Hosgood believes in letting go of the media entitlement of having the right to cover a story. She emphasizes the importance of listening and a willingness to learn from people and their communities.

“In Indigenous culture, stories were traditionally treated as a commodity. Once you have the story, it’s yours to hold on to,” said Follett Hosgood. “When somebody is telling me their story, I’m really aware that they’re sharing something really precious with me. And I try to treat it accordingly, with as much respect as I can.”

She explains how there is a fine line between amplifying Indigenous voices and overstepping by speaking for others. Curbing misinformation, calling out overt racism and listening is how she sees her job.

“Small acts of solidarity and absorbing more perspectives in the day to day is one way we all can do better,” she said.

Follett Hosgood also recommends engaging with three books to work on becoming a journalist and ally: The Ways of Our Ancestors, Seeing Red: A History of Natives in Canadian Newspapers and Elements of Indigenous Style, which The Tyee wrote about earlier in the year.

She hopes we all can “embrace the awkward” and practice listening in order to build stronger relationships with people and their communities.

Our next “Three Things” webchat features editorial assistant Olamide Olaniyan, who’ll talk about working towards a media landscape that reflects the diversity of its audience. Join us for a lively and personal interview on Wednesday, June 24 at 1 p.m. PST. Register here for the webinar or follow us on Facebook and YouTube where the livestream will be broadcast.