JOURNALISM AT RISK
Given the great potential of people to be in- fected by the coronavirus that “social distanc- ing” may continue for some time, Indigenous journalists who live within their communities are needed more than ever. “We are telling the stories that no other publications can tell,” says Navajo Times reporter Arlyssa Becenti. “The national media focuses on the negative. We are providing positive stories—stories about who has survived and how we are all pitching in to help each other and take care of our elders.” Yet journalists on the ground may not be
able to do business as usual. Becenti’s normal beat is the tribal government, yet as the Navajo Nation has not been gathering to hold council meetings, she is almost entirely covering the impacts of the virus. She also can no longer always talk face-to-face with those she is inter- viewing. “In this community, you introduce yourself because we are all relatives. You tell them your clan and shake hands,” she says. “The phone is not personal.” While restaurants, farmers and other pro-
ducers have been hit hard by the economic downfall that followed in the wake of the virus’s outbreak, other casualties have been media outlets and even freedom of the press in some countries. After their advertising rev- enue suddenly plummeted, some newspapers furloughed staff and other small community publications folded. As the Navajo Times is normally distributed through local businesses that closed during the outbreak, Editor Duane Beyal says that while the newspaper is prepared to weather the storm, “We’re suffering a big hit in circulation.” On a broader scale, the 2020 World Press Freedom Index recently reported that some authoritarian nations such as China also may be taking advantage of people’s fear of the virus to take further controls and ham- per press freedoms. Whether media is covering a worldwide cri-
sis or a local school board meeting, every well- researched news story has at least one journalist behind it. Journalism is a critical cog in the functioning of a society, and the contributions of Indigenous journalists are not only essential but also often inspirational. Whatever news we read, listen to or watch from the safety of our homes, we must value our media profession- als and remember the effort they undertake to bring the news to us. The editors of American Indian magazine thank all our media colleagues for their work and wish them the strength to continue the fight, whether they are behind the scenes, at a desk or on the front lines. X
—The Editors, American Indian magazine
Tsawout First Nation carver Howard La Fortune (right) stands beside his wife, Tuesday, near their home in Victoria, British Columbia. They are wearing bear masks that La Fortune carved out of yellow cedar in honor of those impacted by COVID-19. While not for protection against the coronavirus, they offer comfort. He says, “the bear symbolizes strength, and that is what we need about now to get through all this.”
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez speaks with Fire Department Lieutenant Randy Frank near Chilchinbeto, Arizona, a town where some of the first residents of the Navajo Nation infected with the coronavirus were identified.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 11
PHOTO BY ARLYSSA BECENTI, COURTESY OF THE NAVAJO TIMES
PHOTO BY SYDNEY WOODWARD (
WWW.OVERGROWTHESYSTEM.ORG)
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