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ICT took top honors in both online/digital and broadcast awards according to the Native American Journalists Association announcement of its 2023 National Native Media Awards.
More than 800 entries were submitted across different divisions and categories, according to the website, which published the results July 3. ICT received both first and second place in the Professional Division III – TV for Best Newscast. In the Professional Division III – Print / Online, ICT took first place in both Best Digital Publication and General Excellence categories.
“Our team members were practically jumping up and down when we learned we won multiple NAJA awards,” said Aliyah Chavez, Kewa Pueblo, and newscast anchor and managing editor. “We don’t do this work for the recognition. We do it for the genuine love of public service for our Indigenous people.”
The media awards are given every year during the annual Native American Journalists Association conference. This year’s event is scheduled for August in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
“The annual competition recognizes excellence in reporting by Indigenous and non-Indigenous journalists from across the U.S. and Canada.” READ MORE — ICT
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A biweekly column from ICT with the latest news from the arts and entertainment world. READ MORE — Sandra Hale Schulman, ICT
Veteran musician and actor Gary Farmer promises “one helluva show” when he and the Troublemakers hit the stage this summer with a new All Star Tour after the release of his new album, “Lucky 7.”
Farmer and friends will make at least nine stops across southern Ontario, focusing on hitting as many First Nations communities as possible and with a festival date in New York state.
The All Star Tour features Derek Miller, Mohawk; Brock Stonefish, Lenape/Chippewa/Oneida; and Howard Gelb, with special guests Keith Secola, Ojibwe, and Charly Lowry, Lumbee/Tuscarora.
Farmer, Cayuga, wants to get his music out to Indigenous communities, who may be more familiar with his acting work in such series as “Reservation Dogs” and “The English.”
“They don’t necessarily recognize me as a musical artist, more as an actor,” Farmer told ICT. “But I can still attract Native audiences, and that’s always been my audience. That’s always been my support.”
The tour kicks off at the Marsh Centre in Clarksburg, Ontario, on Thursday, July 13 then heads north to M-Chigeeng First Nation,Ontario on Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. READ MORE — Miles Morrisseau, ICT
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AMECAMECA, Mexico — Moisés Vega has a distinctive job: The 64-year-old Mexican says he can speak the sacred language of volcanoes to ask for good weather and a good crop.
Mexico lowered the alert level on the Popocatépetl volcano by early June after its eruptions of gas and ash had drawn international attention. For Vega, though, the 17,797-foot mountain, known as El Popo, is a living being that never fades from his sight.
“The Popocatépetl is our father and the Iztaccíhuatl is our mother,” he said, referring to a neighboring volcano. “They are providers of water and we are not afraid of them. On the contrary, their exhalations are blessings because they give us life.”
There is no English translation for his profession, but among the inhabitants of the towns of central Mexico, men like him are called “graniceros.”
“Their work is based on the pre-Hispanic notion of conciliation with nature,” said archaeologist Arturo Montero, from the University of Tepeyac. “They are regulators of the weather who believe that the mountains are spirits of nature.” READ MORE — Associated Press
- As hurricane uprooted trees, it also unearthed ancient artifacts: Kisatchie National Forest sites were disrupted with the landfall of Hurricane Laura, and subsequent illegal looting activity
- Standing Rock drops into new skatepark: Standing Rock’s Akichita Hanksa district is celebrating its new skatepark and basketball court. And thanks to a team that includes some pretty big names, Indigenous youth have new and healthy ways to have fun
- Getting to know Portland’s premier, and Indigenous, drag clown: Anthony Hudson’s first public drag performance was for his senior showcase at McNary High School in Keizer, Oregon. Today, he performs on stages across the world
- Fight continues over Yanaguana site in San Antonio: Indigenous advocates say a San Antonio development plan threatens sacred birds, heritage trees and the Coahuiltecan creation site
- Most of Chemehuevi Tribe’s water goes to California cities
- FIFA approves Indigenous flags to fly at Women’s World Cup
- 5 standout exhibitions showcasing Indigenous American artists this summer
We want your tips, but we also want your feedback. What should we be covering that we’re not? What are we getting wrong? Please let us know. dalton@ictnews.org.