these and its website and social media chan- nels, the broadcast has the potential to reach more than 50 million viewers. Another challenge for Indigenous media is maintaining independence in what is often a small community with strong tribal govern- ment influence, conditions that can hamper the basic journalistic practice of maintaining objectivity. Nearly a quarter of Indigenous me- dia producers who responded to the Red Press survey stated that stories about tribal affairs or officials went unreported due to censorship all or most of the time. Nearly a third say that prior approval of stories by government officials was required all or most of the time. These obstacles lead to a narrowed scope
of information reaching its intended audi- ences. Nearly a quarter of the readers, lis- teners and viewers of Indigenous media re- sponded that their Indigenous media outlets only sometimes or never reflected the range of opinions and concerns of tribal citizens. Ten percent of this group also reported that tribal citizens never have adequate informa- tion about tribal affairs. “We need more transparency mechanisms
in place so our readers know what is happen- ing with their tribal media,” says Spotted Bear. “Who owns the tribal newspaper? How much funding comes from the tribal government? How often is the tribal council or some other governmental body shaping what goes into the newspaper or not? I think it’s imperative that our readers know the extent of control the tribal government has in filtering the news.” Spotted Bear says that to properly fulfill
their roles as truthtellers, Indigenous media must have full access to leadership and be shielded from political influence. “We need to create a legal framework to protect our tribal media operations for them to be able to do their work as if they were independent,” she says. “This would require the tribes to buy into that idea, and there needs to be no strings at- tached to funding.”
MEDIA FOR THE PEOPLE
When Indigenous media is supported to operate independently, then it is more than just a conveyor of information. It is an en- gaged partner, serving its community and its audience with depth, clarity and perspec- tive. When Indigenous people see and hear their authentic representation in media, it empowers their voice and reinforces their Native identities. Taylor says without Indigenous media,
Native people and their issues would be near invisible in the mainstream culture and tribal
In September 2019, Indian Country Today Editor Mark Trahant (Shoshone-Bannock Tribes) interviewed then-presidential candidate Montana Governor Steve Bullock. The month before, the outlet cohosted the Native American Presidential Forum attended by 11 candidates in Sioux City, Iowa.
Mentor Darren Brown (Cochití Pueblo) and CATV 47 student journalist Hunter Hutulke (Seminole) interviewed KYNR 1490 AM radio host Reggie George (Yakama Nation) as part of a fellowship newsroom experience during the Native American Journalists Association’s 2019 National Native Media Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
governments would be less able to sustain their self-determination, or the freedom to define themselves. The role of Indigenous media, she says, is to “have control over what the narratives are about our own people. If you are not in control, if you don’t have me- dia control and ownership, somebody else is going to have that power. It’s a huge power that we don’t often acknowledge. It’s vital, it’s pivotal and it affects everything.” However, true self-determination may be
more difficult to attain if tribal media outlets are unable to fulfill their full potential. James R. Mountain, the former governor of San
Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico and now owner of the community’s newspaper, the Valley Daily Post, asserts that the key for Na- tive media to succeed is for it to connect to its cultural roots. “We must be true to our Indian way—‘Naa in-bee Towa Koo paadeh peh,’ our Indian way comes first. Those are the gifts that were given to us by our creator. Be true to that. We must put that first, as part of our principles as tribal media outlets,” Mountain says. “This is one way, and it’s a very powerful way.” X
Bryan Pollard (Cherokee Nation) is a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University and former president of the Native American Journalists Association. He is also the lead researcher of NAJA’s Red Press Initiative.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 35
PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIVE AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
PHOTO COURTESY OF INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY
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