- Details
- By Native StoryLab
In a powerful episode of Native Bidaské, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) reveals to Native News Online’s editor Levi Rickert (Potawatomi) the urgent health care crisis facing tribal communities under the Trump administration's proposed budget cuts. The vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs delivers a stark warning about the devastating potential of reduced federal health care funding in Indian Country.
Key Highlights:
- Bipartisan Commitment: Senator Schatz, working alongside Senator Murkowski, demonstrates a united effort to support Indian country
- Health care at Risk: Testimony from tribal leaders exposes the life-or-death implications of potential funding reductions
- Call to Action: Urgent plea for tribal citizens to engage with congressional representatives
The episode is a critical reminder of the ongoing challenges in Indian healthcare, emphasizing the need for immediate advocacy and support. Senator Schatz's insights provide a crucial platform for understanding the complex issues facing Native communities.
📅 Date: Friday, May 23 at 12 p.m. ET
📍 Watch on Native News Online’s Facebook and YouTube.
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.
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Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher