Nation
Nation is a privately held Cree and Indigenous news magazine and digital publication founded in 1998, serving Eeyou Istchee communities and broader Canadian Indigenous audiences with bilingual journalism across news, politics, culture, and health.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Nation does
Nation is a privately held Cree-focused news magazine and online publication founded in 1998 by Will Nicholls, a Cree journalist from Mistissini who has served as the sole Editor-in-Chief since inception. Headquartered at 4200 boul. Saint Laurent, Suite 918 in Montréal, Quebec, the publication serves Cree and Indigenous communities primarily across Eeyou Istchee (James Bay Cree territory in Quebec) and broader Canadian Indigenous audiences, covering eight editorial categories: News, Politics, Voices, Community, Arts & Culture, Health, Business, and Sports. The team comprises 11–50 employees and 20+ columnists embedded in Cree communities, several with multi-decade tenures.
The product surface consists of three components: a WordPress-based digital news website (nationnews.ca), a print magazine available by paid annual subscription at $90/year (with a free email newsletter alternative), and Tundra Comics, an Indigenous-themed comic series launched in 2019–2020. The publication presents bilingual English/Cree content, including Cree syllabic section headers. The technical stack is straightforward: a standard WordPress CMS with no disclosed AI, APIs, or proprietary technology.
Revenue is generated from print and digital subscriptions and from advertising sold to businesses and organizations seeking to reach Cree and Indigenous audiences in Quebec and across Canada. Distribution occurs through nationnews.ca, social media (Facebook, Twitter), email newsletter, print mail, and a broadcast partnership with the Cree Radio Network. Strategic content partnerships anchor the publication with the Cree Nation Government, Cree Board of Health and Social Services (CBHSSJB), Cree School Board, Grand Council of the Crees, and the Local Journalism Initiative (a federal program that funds an embedded reporter position). No external private investment, parent company, or funding rounds are disclosed; ownership is effectively founder-operated.
Nation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nation
- Legal name
- Nation
- Website
- https://nationnews.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nation is a privately held Cree and Indigenous news magazine and digital publication founded in 1998, serving Eeyou Istchee communities and broader Canadian Indigenous audiences with bilingual journalism across news, politics, culture, and health.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indigenous News Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB), Indigenous & Community Cultural Institutions (THAJADAK)
Keywords
Where Nation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Print and Digital Subscriptions: Annual subscription model offering print and digital magazine access. Subscriptions available at $90/year. Free subscriptions also offered via email sign-up.
- Advertising: The magazine offers advertising opportunities to businesses and organizations wanting to reach Cree and Indigenous audiences in Quebec and across Canada.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Subscription - $90/year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Nation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nation publishes a bilingual Cree/English magazine and online news publication covering Cree and Indigenous news, politics, community stories, arts & culture, health, business, and sports for Eeyou Istchee and broader Canadian Indigenous communities. The publication offers free email newsletter subscriptions and paid annual print/digital subscriptions at $90/year, while also monetizing through advertising to businesses seeking to reach Indigenous audiences. Additional content includes the Tundra Comics series and contributions from over 20 community columnists.
Product overview
Nation is a Cree-focused news magazine operated by the Nation News publishing house, offering a digital news website at nationnews.ca and a print magazine subscription service. The publication covers multiple content categories including News, Politics, Voices, Community, Arts & Culture, Health, Business, and Sports, with a focus on Cree and Indigenous stories from Eeyou Istchee and surrounding regions. The magazine features original content from columnists, publishes Tundra Comics, and maintains archives dating back through issues like Issue 33-18.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nation Magazine (Print Subscription) Print magazine publication with annual subscription service priced at $90/year, covering Cree and Indigenous stories, culture, politics, community news, health, business, and sports.
- Nation Digital News Website Digital online news portal providing coverage of Cree and Indigenous news across categories including News, Politics, Voices, Community, Arts & Culture, Health, Business, and Sports.
- Tundra Comics Comic series featured in the Nation publication, showcasing Indigenous storytelling, art, and Cree perspectives.
Quantifiable outcome
- Archive spanning issues from Issue 25-21 through Issue 33-18, representing decades of continuous publication
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Nation
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Nation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Nation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cree Nation GovernmentcoreNation magazine serves as the primary media outlet covering Cree Nation Government activities, policies, and announcements. The publication maintains close relationships with government departments for news coverage and information distribution to Cree communities.
- Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay (CBHSSJB)coreNation magazine receives health-related news, announcements, and public health information from the Cree Health Board for dissemination to Cree communities through their publication.
- Cree Radio NetworkcoreNation magazine content is shared through the Cree Radio Network for broadcast distribution to communities, particularly for public health announcements and emergency communications.
- Grand Council of the CreescoreNation magazine covers Grand Council of the Crees activities, political developments, and community initiatives as part of its political and community news coverage.
- Cree School BoardcoreNation magazine provides coverage of Cree School Board educational initiatives, student achievements, and school-related news serving the Cree education community.
- Local Journalism InitiativeminorThe publication has a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter (Miranda Forster) funded through this federal program supporting local Indigenous journalism.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Turtle Island News: Independent Indigenous newspaper serving Ontario's First Nations communities with print and digital editions. Direct peer because it is a comparable Indigenous-focused newspaper covering community news, politics, culture, and sports for a regional First Nations audience.
- Windspeaker: Canada's largest Indigenous newspaper, covering First Nations, Métis and Inuit news nationally with both print and digital editions. Direct peer because it operates the same Indigenous-focused periodical publishing model, serving overlapping Cree and Indigenous audiences across Canada.
- Indian Country Today: Long-running US Indigenous news outlet covering Native American news, culture, politics, and communities in print and digital formats. Direct peer because it operates the same Indigenous-focused periodical/news model serving an Indigenous audience, comparable in editorial scope to Nation.
Others
- The Tyee: Independent BC-based online news outlet with reader-supported funding covering underreported stories. Adjacent peer because it shares an independent, mission-driven digital journalism model but does not focus specifically on Indigenous content.
Emerging players
- The Discourse: Independent digital newsroom focused on undercovered communities in Canada with a non-profit funding model. Emerging player because it covers Indigenous and underserved communities with similar mission-driven, audience-trust-driven journalism.
- IndigiNews: Digital-first Indigenous journalism outlet covering BC and beyond, founded as a non-profit news initiative. Emerging player because it pursues the same Indigenous-focused journalism mission with a modern digital model, directly competing for the same reader and funder attention.
- Ricochet (Ricochet Media): Independent, Indigenous-led investigative journalism cooperative covering underreported stories in Canada and internationally. Emerging player because it overlaps in Indigenous editorial coverage and competes for the same niche Indigenous-news audience and grant funding.
Broad incumbents
- APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network): Canada's Indigenous broadcaster offering television, digital, and news content to Indigenous audiences nationally. Broad incumbent because it covers Indigenous news and culture at much larger scale, overlapping with Nation's editorial mission while operating a much broader multimedia portfolio.
- CBC Indigenous: National public broadcaster's dedicated Indigenous news and current affairs desk. Broad incumbent because it produces professional Indigenous journalism for a Canadian audience that overlaps with Nation's readership, but with vastly larger resources and a wider geographic mandate.
Regional players
- High Country News: Independent news organization covering the Western United States including Indigenous communities, environmental, and rural issues. Regional player because it serves a comparable community-journalism mission for Indigenous and rural audiences but in a different geography (US West).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Nation social profiles
Digital presenceNation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Nation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nation
What does Nation do?
Nation publishes a bilingual Cree/English magazine and online news publication covering Cree and Indigenous news, politics, community stories, arts & culture, health, business, and sports for Eeyou Istchee and broader Canadian Indigenous communities. The publication offers free email newsletter subscriptions and paid annual print/digital subscriptions at $90/year, while also monetizing through advertising to businesses seeking to reach Indigenous audiences. Additional content includes the Tundra Comics series and contributions from over 20 community columnists.
Is Nation a public or private company?
Nation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Nation founded?
Nation was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nation based?
Nation is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Nation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Print and Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising.
Who are Nation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Turtle Island News, Windspeaker and Indian Country Today. The Tyee is listed as an others. Emerging players are The Discourse, IndigiNews and Ricochet (Ricochet Media). Broad incumbents are APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) and CBC Indigenous. High Country News is listed as a regional player.
Does Nation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nation.
What industry is Nation in?
Nation's product category is Indigenous News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAG, Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers, with a secondary code of MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.