Thaioronióhte Dan David

Early Days

Thaioronióhte Dan David’s father, Tehotenion Walter David Sr., was from Akwesasne and his mother, Watsenniiosthat Thelma Nicholas, was from Kanehsatà:ke. David was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1952. In Kanyen’kéha his first name means “one who is embedded in the sky.” When David was four, his family moved to Kanehsatà:ke Mohawk territory.

He and his seven siblings were raised in a modest home. He recalled often having holes in his boots, but his mother refused to cash federal government cheques. She said, “Because once you take government money, they have control over you.” She offered a stack of uncashed cheques to David when he was young, but, internalizing her lesson, he refused to accept them.

David enjoyed following television and radio news and reading newspapers. He dreamed of becoming a journalist. However, he noticed there were no Indigenous journalists. After graduating secondary school, he worked at a number of manual labour jobs, such as ditch digging and house painting. He then enrolled in an intensive journalism program at the University of Western Ontario. He graduated in 1981 with a love of journalism but dissatisfied with its quality. He explained, “We wanted to change the way that journalism across the country was being done.”

Journalism

Thaioronióhte Dan David’s first job in journalism was with CBC Radio in Whitehorse. He enjoyed the work but was not afforded the same treatment as his non-Indigenous colleagues, such as paid moving expenses. He transferred to CBC Regina, where he again found anti-Indigenous discrimination.

British-born journalist and CBC producer Tim Knight became a mentor to David. He encouraged David to cover stories his own way, without trying to emulate non-Indigenous journalists. David began publishing stories and essays that focused on Indigenous issues and experiences in alternative media outlets such as This Magazine.

In 1994, Knight invited David to join a team of Canadians to help train journalists at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in time to cover the country’s first post-Apartheid, multiracial election. The efforts of David and others were essential in having journalists cover the election in a balanced fashion while moving the SABC from a government-control broadcaster to a public news service. The experience taught him what needed to change in Canada.

Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) began broadcasting in September 1999. It was the world’s first Indigenous national television network. Its mission was to share “our Peoples’ journey, celebrating our cultures, inspiring our children and honouring the wisdom of our Elders.”

Thaioronióhte Dan David was hired to organize and run APTN’s news department, which at the time was called InVision News. When he arrived, there was no staff, newsroom or even office furniture. He quickly hired and trained 20 Indigenous journalists, supported by camera people and more behind-the-scenes crewmembers. They were soon broadcasting Indigenous-based and related news to viewers across Canada. He wanted stories to be longer than those on traditional news broadcasts to allow a deeper exploration of issues. He said, “What I imagined was a gang of like-minded Indigenous journalists…. digging away at stories that might challenge all kinds of stereotypes and misconceptions.”

Under David’s leadership, APTN News became popular and respected across Canada. In the years before social media, APTN News was a tremendously important avenue through which people in Indigenous communities could relate to each other through shared experiences and concerns. His leadership enriched journalism across Canada and his mentorship of young Indigenous journalists launched many careers.

Broadening Influence

Thaioronióhte Dan David shared his experience and knowledge as the chair of diversity at Toronto Metropolitan University. He taught a Decolonizing Journalism course at the University of Toronto. He also served on the board and advisory council of the Quebec Writers’ Federation. He produced programs for TVOntario and VISION TV.

Students, friends and colleagues became well acquainted with his self-deprecating sense of humour. He took journalism seriously but never himself. His work in changing and elevating journalism in Canada earned him the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. In 2023, David shared the Canadian Association of Journalist’s Charles Bury Award with Karyn Pugliese, Jody Porter and Duncan McCue.

After battling cancer for many years, David died on 12 January 2026. He was 73 years old.