
- Details
- By Darren Thompson
NEW YORK — During news coverage on Native American Heritage Month, ABC reporter Kyra Phillips misspoke and referred to Indigenous people as “Indigenous creatures” on ABC News’ streaming channel on Thursday morning.
“Celebrating Native American Heritage Month, when we come back we’ll take a look at Indigenous creatures taking Hollywood and pop-culture by storm,” Phillips mistakenly said on Thursday's broadcast.
The mistake has been corrected, and the news company hasn’t issued an explanation to the error, which was captured and published on TikTok by user @indigenousdronepilot.
“I was taken back when I first seen it, but not surprised,” Brooke Waukau (Johnson), whose TikTok handle is @indigenousdronepilot, told Native News Online. “For outsiders looking in, that misuse of words could look like a harmless mistake, but for Indigenous people it is a reminder of the mistrust and broken relationship we have with the media.”
As of press time, the video has had more than 730,000 views, thousands of shares, and social media is abuzz with memes, comments, and posts.
Popular social media handle Injun Comedy said in a post on Facebook, “We’re not ‘something else’ any more, we’re ‘Indigenous creatures’ now.” The popular social media group has more than 225,000 followers and has already posted links to merchandise that have the text “Indigenous creatures.”
Native Hoop Magazine posted on its social media today, defending the ABC News story about Native American Heritage Month. “That clip of ABC News calling us indigenous creatures is taken way out of context,” Native Hoop Magazine wrote on its Facebook on Friday. It shared a link to the network’s publication of the story and its title includes “Native American creators.”
The ABC story was about Native American people involved in the creation of several hit shows such as Reservation Dogs and the movie Prey.
“We don’t want them to honor us once a year for Native American Heritage Month,” said Waukau, who’s also a MMIW Task Force Coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Justice. “We want them to do their job all year round and run stories on our missing men, women, and children.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article erroneously named 20/20 anchor Amy Robach as the anchor who referred to Native Americans as "Indigenous creatures." The ABC reporter who made the reference is Kyra Phillips.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher