- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Join Native News Online Publisher Levi Rickert and Senior Reporter Jenna Kunze as they interview Native American Rights Fund Staff Attorney Morgan Saunders and Pipestem Law Council Shoney Blake. This episode will discuss the importance of protecting Native Americans’ religious rights to wear tribal regalia during this graduation season.
Saunders is an experienced litigator who is passionate about ensuring tribes have an advocate in every room where decisions are being made, especially in Washington, DC. At NARF, Saunders is based in the DC office. Her work has focused on protecting Native religious rights, including wearing eagle feathers at graduation. She also supports the Tribal Supreme Court Project, which protects Native interests at the U.S. Supreme Court. In this role, she helped coordinate the amicus brief strategy for Brackeen v. Haaland. Most recently, Saunders has been supporting voting rights and election protection issues.
Blake is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, Shoney has represented clients in federal litigation and co-authored amicus briefs at the U.S. Supreme Court and in federal appellate and district courts on behalf of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and the National Congress of American Indians.
Tune into the live stream on the Native News Online Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube social media accounts, and subscribe to our channel.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
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
