Nation

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.

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

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

• Indigenous journalism
• Cree news media
• Community journalism
• Bilingual publications
• Tribal news coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Advertising: The magazine offers advertising opportunities to businesses and organizations wanting to reach Cree and Indigenous audiences in Quebec and across Canada.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cree Nation GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNation 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNation 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 NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNation 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 CreescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNation magazine covers Grand Council of the Crees activities, political developments, and community initiatives as part of its political and community news coverage.
• Cree School BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNation magazine provides coverage of Cree School Board educational initiatives, student achievements, and school-related news serving the Cree education community.
• Local Journalism InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/creenation_news
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3494586-canada-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nation