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The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard

Covering Indian Country

As a young reporter at The Rapid City Journal, Tim Giago was seldom allowed to cover stories on the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation where he was raised. As one editor told him, being Native American meant he could not be objective in his reporting. In 1981 he moved back to the reservation to start a community newspaper called the Lakota Times. At that time it was the only independently owned weekly Indian publication in the United States. In this collection of stories, Native Americans and non-natives who tell stories about the lives of Indian peoples talk about their obligation to fairness and the skills they need to live up to this responsibility.

Covering Indian Country
Introduction
By Melissa Ludtke, Editor
Challenges Native and Non-Native Journalists Confront
Those who tell Indian people’s stories are ‘expected to be truthful, responsible, accurate and excellent communicators.’
By Jodi Rave
The Difficult Path of a Tribal Watchdog Reporter
‘I asked the council politely, “What is the role of this board? Will you be looking over and deciding what news goes to print?”
By Bonnie Red Elk
Freedom of the Press in Indian Country
At its creation, the Lakota Times ‘became the only independently owned Indian weekly publication in America.’
By Tim Giago
Covering Indian Country: How an Outsider Gets In
Relying on decades of experience, a journalist provides valuable reporting tips.
By Steve Magagnini
The Healing Power of Well-Reported Words (1 comment)
A reporter returns home—to a troubled reservation—to write about what happened to its land and people.
By Larry Oakes
Taking Time to Understand the Story to Be Told
To report this story meant ‘immersing ourselves in a system of government and a way of life that, shamefully, we knew little about.’
By Michael Moore
Attitudes and Mindsets Hinder Journalists in
‘… consciously or unconsciously, stories have been shaped to fit well known themes of bad, good or degraded, ancient and exotic Indians.’
By Mary Ann Weston
When Reporters Lack Access and Knowledge
‘… access would be easier to achieve if reporters had been there to cover some of the more routine stories that had taken place on the reservation.’
By Dorreen Yellow Bird
What ‘Band’ Means
Dorreen Yellow Bird offers an example to explain the correct use of the term “band.”
By Dorreen Yellow Bird
Cultures Clash in Coverage of a School Shooting (1 comment)
Some reporters didn’t understand the implications of tribal sovereignty when they went to the Red Lake Indian Reservation to report this story.
By Dan Gunderson
Broadcast News: The Absence of Native Storytellers (2 comments)
Without American Indian journalists, potential news stories are untold and the complexities of issues aren’t addressed.
By Mark Trahant
The Internet: Continuing the Legacy of Storytelling
‘I often reflect on my work as a journalist and wonder if I’ve some inherent genetic code that comes from this time-honored practice.’
By Victor Merina
Valuable Web Sites About Indian Country
By Victor Merina
Finding a Different Path Into the Newsroom
For Native students, a summer journalism institute, an online newspaper, and internships can lead to full-time jobs.
By Denny McAuliffe
Native News Honors Project
In a journalism class at the University of Montana, students report from the state’s Indian Country, and their words and images are published.
By Carol Van Valkenburg
A Student’s Most Memorable Story (3 comments)
In tackling a tough topic—racial relations in a Montana community—a young reporter learned how much good journalism matters.
By Anne E. Pettinger