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- By Native StoryLab
When a full year of stories, victories, challenges, and community voices come together in one place, something powerful happens. Native News Online is preparing to bring that energy to screens across Indian Country during its 2025 Year-End Live Stream, airing Thursday, Dec. 11, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET.
This special 90-minute livestream is more than a recap of the year; it’s a celebration of the impact Native-led journalism can have when communities rally behind it. Hosted by editor Levi Rickert and Chance Rush, featuring members of the Native News Online team, the event is designed to highlight why independent Native media matters now more than ever.
So what can viewers expect from this year’s broadcast? A program that reflects the breadth and heart of Native News Online’s coverage and the importance of native journalism. From sovereignty and federal policy to health, culture, food, and the arts, each segment is built to take viewers deeper into the stories that shaped 2025.
That includes special guests. Prominent Native Americans, especially those in arts and entertainment, are being invited to join the livestream and speak to the importance of supporting Native media. Their voices add a meaningful layer to the evening, underscoring what Native journalism makes possible when it’s resourced and trusted.
But the stream isn’t only about reflection — it’s about sustaining the future.
During the broadcast, viewers will learn how these funds keep Native News Online’s reporting free, accessible, and rooted in community needs.
Why does this matter? Because Native communities deserve journalism that is accurate, culturally grounded, and unafraid to explain the “why” behind the headline. Native News Online’s work, from on-the-ground reporting to long-form investigations and cultural storytelling, relies on the support of readers who believe in strengthening Indigenous voices in media.
And the broadcast itself will reflect that mission.
Segments will spotlight major reporting initiatives, including Cultivating Culture, a project uplifting Indigenous foodways and language revitalization. Health coverage, one of Native News Online’s most-read focus areas, will also receive dedicated attention.
As we approach December 11, Native News Online invites all readers to tune in, share the event with friends and family, and help strengthen the future of Native journalism. Because when Native people tell Native stories, our communities are better informed, and our voices become stronger.
📅 Year-End Livestream
Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025
8:00–9:30 p.m. ET
Streaming on Facebook, YouTube, and Nativenewsonline.net
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
