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"People are treating us like we're invisible in our own homeland. It's time for that to stop,” Madolyn Wesaw said.

 

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.

Levi headshotThe 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

 
 
July 04, 2025 Native News Online Staff
Native Vote. On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit declined to reconsider its controversial ruling that bars voters from suing to enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Currents
July 05, 2025 Native News Online Staff Currents 1085
The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) has named Dana Hedgpeth (Haliwa-Saponi Tribe of North Carolina) as the recipient of the 2025 IJA-Medill Milestone Achievement Award.
Opinion
July 04, 2025 Judith LeBlanc Opinion 1349
Guest Opinion. This July 4th, we continue to organize for an inclusive multiracial democracy where Indigenous sovereignty is respected and everyone who calls these lands home can thrive.
July 04, 2025 Shaun Griswold Opinion 1957
Guest Opinion. I don’t skip over any words in the Declaration of Independence.
Sovereignty
July 02, 2025 Native News Online Staff Sovereignty 3989
The Suquamish Tribe continues to play a significant role in the regional economy, according to a newly released economic impact study by respected economist John B. Taylor. The report outlines the Tribe’s wide-ranging contributions to Kitsap County and the state of Washington in 2023.
July 02, 2025 Levi Rickert Sovereignty 2344
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled that a citizen of the Muscogee Nation must pay state income taxes, even though she resides within the boundaries of the Muscogee reservation and earned all her income from within that territory.
Education
June 27, 2025 Native News Online Staff Education 2102
Native Forward Scholars Fund , the nation’s largest direct provider of scholarships to Native students, has announced the recipients of its prestigious Student of the Year Award at the 2025 Empowering Scholars Summit.
June 24, 2025 Native News Online Staff Education 7912
On Tuesday, June 17, Speaker Crystalyne Curley and Council Delegate Dr. Andy Nez met with representatives from the Department of Diné Education (DODE), Diné Bi Oltá School Board Association (DBOSBA), and the BIA Navajo Region to develop a unified response to the Bureau of Indian Education’s recent “Dear Tribal Leader” letter.
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July 05, 2025 Native News Online Staff Arts & Entertainment 577
After 33 years on the air, First Voices Radio will broadcast its final episode on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Founded in 1992 by Tiokasin Ghosthorse (Cheyenne River Lakota), the program has served as a vital platform for global Indigenous voices, focusing on issues central to the protection and preservation of Mother Earth—always told from the perspective of the original peoples of the world.
June 27, 2025 Chickasaw Nation Media Arts & Entertainment 843
SULPHUR, Okla. – Downtown Sulphur was once again a flurry of activity June 7 as the vibrant sights and sounds of the annual Artesian Arts Festival attracted thousands of art patrons and families.
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A wildfire that has been burning across Navajo Nation since last Saturday has grown to more than 9,800 acres with 0 percent containment, according to the latest announcement from Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s office .
June 30, 2025 Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico Environment 1956
A wildfire that erupted over the weekend on the Navajo Nation near the New Mexico border has grown to more than 6,200 acres, according to the latest updates.