- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The responses were diverse, reflecting a wide range of traditions, reflections, and celebrations. From honoring ancestral resilience to participating in community events, Indian Country has a unique perspective on this national holiday.
Read on to see how Indian Country is celebrating the Fourth of July, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
The following answers have been published as written.
Jean Ttarp
I enjoy spending time with my loved ones and having a paid day off from work. I also take some time to contemplate what "independence" and "freedom" mean for this nation where so many people do not experience these concepts.
Robin St. Claire-Lopez
We watch the local parade and then go to a lake and have a cookout then watch the fireworks, I don't celebrate it because of what it stands for I just enjoy being with family and friends on this day because we all get the day off..lol
Ronald K Oldman
I don’t go to parades, that’s not my celebration, I go fishing with my family in the mountains to escape all of the craziness.
Galen Galbreath
I don't. And I usually spend the day comforting my elder Scottish Terrier Lass who is traumatized by the colonizer fireworks being set off.
Lynn Gnez
Just stay home , grill some food and be with my family!!
Phyllis Miller
Stay home and eat hotdogs. We used to have cookouts to honor our Dad. He was a WWII Navy Seabee Veteran. He loved having all 7 of his children and their families home.
Leksi Mac
I only watch Native programming that day and listen to traditional Pow Wow radio, I might sweat as well.
MCatherine Harper
Watching movies at home, then maybe checking out the fireworks from our front yard. We used to stay in because our dog didn't like the noise but he passed in November so we might as well enjoy the display our tax dollars are paying for.
Beth Bełch
I try to keep my dog from freaking out, while the neighbors indulge in random explosions
Maadaookii
Indian Tacos with family today.
Coach J
Family, Friends, and Frybread! Barbecue, steak, beef ribs, green chili, mutton stew, and frybread! Enjoying the fact that I am still here to enjoy the finer things in life with people I care about!
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
Protests Greet Western Governors in Santa Fe
Red Hoop Talk: Native Stories, Real Conversations
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
