Osiyo, my name is Kaitlin Onawa Boysel. I’m a producer and reporter for the ICT broadcast team.
Traditionally I did not grow up on reservation or even participate in community events. I even went to a high school called “Union (R-word)” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At that time I had no idea the amount of pain and trauma Indigenous people had gone through and the heavy weight that racial slur held.
My middle name “Onawa” was given to me by my Cherokee parents. Onawa means wide awake girl in Cherokee.
Fast forward to college, I was accepted into the Native American Journalists Association’s fellowship program for young aspiring Native journalists learning the ropes and the importance of Native storytelling. I went back to the program three times because I enjoyed the people so much.
I took my first job out of college as an on air reporter at a local TV station and learned the grind of the news and what a deadline was and how to use a tripod to balance your camera.
But something was missing when I would go to my bosses with stories about Native people. The angle they always wanted painted somewhat of a stereotype and I knew Indigenous people had more stories to tell than a statistic.
I fought hard everyday until finally I got a call from Indian Country Today and was asked if I wanted to help write Indigenous stories and I said, heck yes!
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Since then I have covered stories in Wisconsin, Nevada, Oklahoma, about Natives who have supported their communities through art, ice fishing and even running.
This is Ku Steven’s who is from the Yerington Paiute Tribe he ran 50 miles to honor his great grandfather after running away from the harsh conditions at Stewart Indian School in Carson City, Nevada.
This is firefighter Craig Deerinwater from the Muscogee (Creek) tribe in Oklahoma he uses his art to bring joy to others when times are tough.
And this is Ryon Alloway from the Forest County Potawatomi tribe in Wisconsin who goes ice fishing to feed his family and pass traditional practices down to the next generation.
Indian Country Today has taught me there is always a Native story to tell, we just have to look for it. We now have an opportunity to tell our stories.
My point is without ICT more and more generations will fall into an inaccurate narrative of Indigenous people.
So, if you can even just give $10 to help support us you aren’t just helping the now but you’re helping the future generations and that’s always something to invest into.
Wado,
Kaitlin Onawa Boysel
