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WASHINGTON — Red Hoop Talk, a new live streaming show produced by the Association on American Indian Affairs, will interview Native News Online’s publisher and editor Levi Rickert tonight at 8 p.m. – EDT.

Levi Rickert

Rickert will talk about covering the news in Indian Country as well as his own background as a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.

Red Hoop Talk: Native News and Talk was launched four weeks ago with the goal to protect Indigenous culture and continue the survival as diverse Indigenous peoples. The talk show format is hosted by AAIA executive director Shannon O'Loughlin (Choctaw) and Roy Melendez (Caddo). 

Tonight Rickert will discuss Native News Online’s approach to covering the COVID-19 pandemic that is having devastating impacts in Indian Country.  He’ll also share news about Native News Online’s recent award of a Facebook grant to provide more coverage of the pandemic in areas of Indian Country that are often overlooked.  

“I tell audiences all the time, it is our time to tell our stories because we have not been happy how others have told our stories. It is time to change Indian Country’s narrative and Native News Online works hard everyday to do just that,” Rickert said.

Rickert will also share some of his experiences of covering news as an American Indian journalist. He has covered Indian Country from Alcatraz, Standing Rock, reservations from throughout Indian Country to Capitol Hill.

Native News Online, in its 10th year of publishing, is one of Indian Country’s most read daily news websites.

WHAT: Native News Online’s Levi Rickert to be interviewed on Red Hoop Talk

WHEN: Friday, May 15, 2020, 8:00 p.m. - EDT

WHERE: YouTube.

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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
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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].