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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

 
 
About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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].

July 09, 2025 Levi Rickert
Opinion. Between 1492 and 1900, millions of Indigenous people across Turtle Island—a term many Native peoples use to refer to North America—died as a result of disease, violence, and forced displacement following European colonization. Scholars estimate between 4 million and 18 million Indigenous people perished during this period. By 1900, the Native American population in what is now the United States had fallen to approximately 237,000.
Currents
July 11, 2025 Native News Online Staff Currents 2001
Native Vote. On Saturday, July 12th, Deb Haaland—former Secretary of the Interior and current candidate for New Mexico governor—will officially kick off her “Lift Up New Mexico Tour.” During this statewide journey, she’ll connect with voters in rural communities and focus on making life more affordable for working families. The tour follows her 19-stop campaign launch, where she met thousands of New Mexicans in their hometowns and listened to their priorities for the state’s future.
Opinion
July 10, 2025 Cheryl Crazy Bull Opinion 2124
Guest Opinion. We know the news media and now, social media influencers, don’t intentionally give positive free “advertising,” and it is often very hard to have positive outcomes from remarkably ignorant and dangerous comments. But this week tribal colleges and universities and Native students received a bit of free advertising after a Fox News commentator made a genocidal remark on her social media account (in response to a college professor’s presentation about Native sovereignty) that “we didn’t kill enough Indians.” That remark unwittingly underscored the importance of tribal colleges and universities.
July 09, 2025 Levi Rickert Opinion 8151
Opinion. Between 1492 and 1900, millions of Indigenous people across Turtle Island—a term many Native peoples use to refer to North America—died as a result of disease, violence, and forced displacement following European colonization. Scholars estimate between 4 million and 18 million Indigenous people perished during this period. By 1900, the Native American population in what is now the United States had fallen to approximately 237,000.
Sovereignty
July 11, 2025 Native News Online Staff Sovereignty 528
A Las Vegas man appeared in court Tuesday after being indicted for allegedly selling counterfeit goods falsely advertised as authentic Native American-made items, in violation of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990.
July 08, 2025 Native News Online Staff Sovereignty 1488
The Muscogee Nation marked the fifth anniversary of the historic McGirt v. Oklahoma decision with a Sovereignty Day celebration held at the College of the Muscogee Nation’s STEM Building Lecture Hall. The event brought together tribal leadership, citizens, and special guests to honor the Supreme Court ruling that reaffirmed the Nation’s reservation boundaries and fortified the legal foundation of tribal sovereignty across Indian Country.
Education
July 09, 2025 Native News Online Staff Education 558
Navajo Technical University (NTU) has officially launched its new Microcredentials–Construction Trades program through its Construction Technology department. This accelerated course condenses 16 weeks of hands-on construction training into just 9 weeks, providing students with a fast-tracked path to industry-ready skills.
June 27, 2025 Native News Online Staff Education 2813
Native Forward Scholars Fund , the nation’s largest direct provider of scholarships to Native students, has announced the recipients of its prestigious Student of the Year Award at the 2025 Empowering Scholars Summit.
Arts & Entertainment
July 11, 2025 Kaili Berg Arts & Entertainment 289
The documentary The Story of Art in Alaska is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, bringing the creativity and cultural traditions of Alaska’s artists to viewers around the world.
July 11, 2025 Cheyenne River Youth Project Arts & Entertainment 319
EAGLE BUTTE, SD — It’s Day 3 of the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s 11th Annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam, and the action is moving to CRYP’s Waniyetu Wowapi (Winter Count) Art Park. The nine headlining graffiti and street artists will be painting and mentoring youth artists in the park while children and teens enjoy a variety of arts-related activities.
Health
Environment
July 01, 2025 Native News Online Staff Environment 5438
A wildfire that has been burning across Navajo Nation since last Saturday has grown to more than 9,800 acres with 0 percent containment, according to the latest announcement from Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s office .
June 30, 2025 Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico Environment 2624
A wildfire that erupted over the weekend on the Navajo Nation near the New Mexico border has grown to more than 6,200 acres, according to the latest updates.