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- By Native News Online Staff
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Native News Online has launched its annual year-end fundraising campaign, a month-long effort to sustain the independent, Native-centered journalism readers rely on.
The campaign began Dec. 1 and comes at a critical moment. Publisher Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) said 2025 has been one of the most challenging years in the outlet’s history, driven in part by a steep decline in advertising revenue. Several advertisers — including federal agencies — have pulled back spending amid the broader anti-DEI movement, affecting publications that highlight and serve Native communities.
The result has reflected a drop in over 35 percent of advertising revenue.
“At the beginning of the year, we adopted the mantra ‘Warrior Journalism: Defending Tribal Sovereignty,’” Rickert said. “It’s more than a slogan. It reflects how we report every day as support erodes for the underrepresented in this country.”
Rickert pointed to federal resistance during this year’s government shutdown to fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as the food stamp program, as one example of the inequities the newsroom has covered. “Our leaders continue to favor billionaires over those in need. Your support helps us tell the stories that expose these realities,” he said.
Native News Online has grown far beyond its initial mission, becoming a national resource for other media, educators, researchers, and readers seeking accurate, timely coverage of Indian Country.
Rickert said readers will see more appeals from Native News Online than usual during December, emphasizing that every contribution directly supports reporting on issues affecting tribal nations, sovereignty and Native people nationwide.
“Your support is critically important,” he said. “It ensures we can continue delivering the quality journalism you expect — and that Indian Country deserves.”
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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.
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
