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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

 
 
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Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].

June 27, 2025 Elyse Wild
ANCHORAGE — On Feb. 12, 2023, Chante Tran (Yup’ik) awoke in the middle of the night to an unmistakable sensation. She rolled out of bed and grabbed a cloth to stem the flow of amniotic fluid between her legs — her water had broken. It was time to meet her baby.
Currents
June 30, 2025 Levi Rickert Currents 1169
The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) is proud to host the 11th Annual Native Youth in Agriculture Leadership Summit. This weeklong event gathers Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian young adults (ages 18–24) from across Indian Country at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. During the summit, participants engage in focused learning tracks, collaborate on capstone projects, and learn directly from professionals in the food and agriculture industries.
Opinion
June 29, 2025 Professor Victoria Sutton Opinion 1191
Guest Opinion. In table top exercises for disaster preparation, local government, state government, churches, federal government, the military and various federal agencies all played roles. Inevitably, as the disaster grew out of control, someone would suggest calling in the military and declaring “martial law.” The answer was always — no, we have the protection of posse comitatus, so the military never has direct interface with civilians (with only a few exceptions). However, there is also a lot that the military can do to support state and local law enforcement, federal law enforcement and federal property. Here is a brief discussion of what this means.
June 29, 2025 Chuck Hoskin Jr Opinion 1415
Guest Opinion. The Cherokee Nation has reached a proud new milestone — one that reflects our legacy of adaptability and our tradition of embracing innovation. By becoming the first tribal nation designated as a “Film Ready Reservation,” we are not only making history; we are building a future where Cherokee stories are amplified on a national — and even global — stage. This achievement reinforces our commitment to creating new opportunities for our people while inviting the world to experience our culture through the power of film and storytelling.
Sovereignty
June 26, 2025 Native News Online Staff Sovereignty 1787
Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill and Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols have announced a settlement agreement between the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee Nation, ending ongoing litigation in favor of forward-looking cooperation.
June 25, 2025 Native News Online Staff Sovereignty 1956
On June 17, the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research—partnering with Tana Fitzpatrick, associate vice president for tribal relations at the University of Oklahoma, and the OU Center for Faculty Excellence—hosted the latest session in its Ethical Tribal Engagement Series at the OU Health Sciences Center. The event drew nearly 70 in-person participants and more than 120 virtual attendees.
Education
June 27, 2025 Native News Online Staff Education 1598
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 3986
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.
Arts & Entertainment
June 27, 2025 Chickasaw Nation Media Arts & Entertainment 680
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.
June 26, 2025 Kaili Berg Arts & Entertainment 2067
A new illustrated children’s biography is bringing national attention to the story of Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone, a professional runner and passionate advocate for Indigenous rights.
Health
Environment
June 30, 2025 Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico Environment 103
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.
June 25, 2025 Native News Online Staff Environment 2849
Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III, the former director of the National Park Service, has been named by the University of Oregon School of Law as the first Oregon Tribes Scholar-in-Residence and Senior Fellow with the Native Environmental Sovereignty Project. The position is part of Oregon Law’s top-ranked Environmental and Natural Resources Law (ENR) Center. A native of Pendleton, Oregon, Sams is Cayuse and Walla Walla and is an enrolled tribal citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. He brings more than 30 years of leadership in natural resource management, conservation, and sustainable stewardship. Currently, he serves on the Pacific Northwest Power and Conservation Council as Governor Tina Kotek’s appointee and Co-Chairs the Oregon Environmental Restoration Fund. Sams made history under the Biden Administration as the first Indigenous Director of the National Park Service. In that role, he advanced agency-wide priorities focused on climate resilience, Tribal sovereignty, and the future of public lands nationwide. “We are tremendously honored to have Chuck Sams join our community and advance our school’s commitment to the Oregon Tribes,” said Dean Jennifer Reynolds, who collaborated with the ENR Center and campus partners to bring Sams to Oregon Law. In his new role, Sams will contribute across multiple areas: sharing expertise in and out of the classroom, mentoring students, guiding research on Tribal co-management of lands and resources, and building stronger partnerships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. “I am thrilled to have such a visionary thinker with national stature contributing to our innovative research,” said Mary C. Wood, Philip H. Knight Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the ENR Center. One of Sams’ first engagements at Oregon Law will be co-presenting in the widely attended Oregon Law Perspectives webinar series. Alongside Professor of Practice Howard Arnett, he will lead a session titled “Treaties, Trust, and Tomorrow: Navigating the Legal Landscape of Native Lands” on August 8, 2025. One of Sams' first endeavors is participating in the popular Oregon Law Perspectives webinar series, where, with Professor of Practice Howard Arnett , he will co-present "Treaties, Trust, and Tomorrow: Navigating the Legal Landscape of Native Lands" on August 8, 2025. Learn more about Oregon Law Perspectives .