As a result of suggestions made during the Equity Roundtable at the 2000 AGM of the Independent Media Arts Allliance (then the Independent Film and Video Alliance, IFVA) a space was made to introduce the Alliance to aboriginal and non aboriginal media artists and centres from across Canada, the main goal was to increase outreach and accessibility to information.
A new region was created and Sheryl Kootenhayoo, Prairie Director and Lana General of NIIPA were elected as aboriginal representatives of the new region and Shelley Charles, Executive Director of ANDPVA was invited to be the Advisor to the new initiative.
In 2001, under the direction of Deborah McInnes, President of the Independent Media Arts Alliance met with Shelley Charles and Lana General to discuss current issues facing aboriginal artists. Isolation and access to information were seen as priorities and from there it was decided to engage in a visioning process for the sector. Deborah McInnes and Shelley Charles lobbied the Canada Council for the Arts and through the IMAA in partnership with NIIPA secured funding for a visioning process and coordinator.
Media artists from Centres across Canada were invited to the visioning process including: Elwood Jimmy, (Sakewewak), Catherine Martin, (Independent FilmMaker), Tracey Jack, (Ullus Collective), Cleo Reece, (IMAG), Miles Morrisseau (Independent FilmMaker) and Shelley Charles , Aboriginal Advisor. The visioning process was facilitated by Native Studies Professor, Jim Dumont.
Several goals and objectives were created in an effort to increase outreach, access and engage aboriginal artists and centres in dialogue from regions across Canada and from that time meetings to further develop the region were held in Regina, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City and Vancouver. The aboriginal region is vast and the northern regions are in great need of assistance on a National basis.
On a National scope, the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition, (formerly NAMAC) is working hard to outreach to media artists and centres from across Canada. Under the direction of Murray Jurak, (Dreamspeakers) and Kym Gouchie (Ullus Collective/ IASO) and the new NIMAC National Director, Shelley Charles this new website was created. With the assistance/guidance of NIMAC's Aboriginal Advisor, Catherine Anne Martin, several meetings are being planned to continue with the development of the NIMAC, outreach to aboriginal media artists centres and creating a place for them to gather in meaningful dialogue, to discuss issues and interact with other media artists centres from across Canada.
This initiative would not have been possible without the support of Peter Sandmark, National Director, (IMAA) and David Poole, the Canada Council for the Arts. Both of them understood the current issue of outreach, engaging northern and southern aboriginal media artists centres in dialogue and their commitment has helped the NIMAC in the development of the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition.