So. What are you gonna do?
If you’ve ever been in an Indigenous home and heard that, it’s time to go. I’ve been hearing that in my own head for quite some time.
Well, now it’s time to finally listen.
Walking Eagle News was started in 2017 when I walked away from stable employment in mainstream news, to the surprise of my colleagues and the complete shock of my poor family. I was sick of being a reporter. Completely burned out from the relentless grind, and the inability to say what I really felt, bound by the journalistic code of impartiality.
But what began as a late night experiment, an inside joke of sorts, has turned into an incredible seven year journey. There were many interviews, as well as kudos and criticisms from people on all sides of the political spectrum – both in Canada and around the world. I can also truly credit this weird little website with sending me on my new career, one that I always secretly coveted: that of a comedy television writer and producer.
This new career has often taken me away from writing Walking Eagle News. Sometimes for days, sometimes many months. I would usually come back when something in the real world made me angry, or sad, or incredulous – this has long been what fuels Walking Eagle News.
Now I’m not sure I can anymore.
I tried to restart things, but it’s beginning to feel the same heavy way real journalism felt, all those years ago. I don’t want to ever hate Walking Eagle News the way I did with journalism. So I’m going to walk away from it, at least for now (but hopefully for good this time).
I’ll leave the website up, and the social media accounts, for as long as I can. Or until I figure out what to do with them, but I won’t be updating them (and if you’ve been following us, you know I don’t do that much anymore anyway).
For those of you who have supported me over the years through Patreon, Ko-Fi, PayPal, or by buying merch — miigwetch. Thank you. It was always appreciated.
For everyone who read the articles, shared the posts, commented, told your friends and family, and even those of you who actually believed it (and there were so, so many), I thank you too. I will miss you.
Miigwetch, News Eaglets.
Tim Fontaine
Editor-in-Grand-Chief
Walking Eagle News