Indian Country Today Media Network

History

ICTMN carries original news reporting on issues of interest to Native Americans and other readers interested in Indian Country.

Founded in 1981 as a newsprint weekly, Indian Country Today, by journalist Tim Giago (Oglala Lakota), the paper described itself as "The Nations' Leading American Indian News Source." Giago based the newspaper on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation but it operated independently of tribal government.

In 1998, Giago sold the paper to Four Directions Media, Inc., owned and operated by the Oneida Nation of New York. The newspaper's headquarters moved to Canastota, New York; in 2011, its operations moved to New York City. The regional newspaper Indian Country Today became Indian Country Today Media Network. In 2013, the paper went online-only.

Indian Country Today Media Network has a smaller—yet significant—Canadian and worldwide readership, which is increasing. Regional journalists are recruited to cover Canadian First Nations, Latin American indigenous peoples, Pacific Islanders, Australian Aboriginals, and indigenous peoples throughout the world.

Notable stories

In 2005, an Indian Country Today editorial "Hurricane Katrina Uncovers a Tale of Two Americas" was quoted by South African President Thabo Mbeki in a letter to the ANC Today, published by the African National Congress.

Indian Country Today had extensive coverage of the Adoptive Couple v. Baby Girl or the 2013 Supreme Court of the United States "Baby Veronica" case in which an Oklahoma father, who was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, sought custody of his daughter Veronica. The coverage included a guest editorial by the president of the Charleston Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

On June 5, 2014, President Barack Obama wrote a column for Indian Country Today titled, "On My Upcoming Trip to Indian Country," describing how he and his wife Michelle Obama plan to visit the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota later in June.

In December 2014, Indian Country Today ran a series of articles covering the controversial 2015 National Defense Authorization Act "land swap" provision that would give land sacred to the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona to Resolution Copper Mine [RCM], a joint venture owned by Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. Over 104,000 had signed a petition to President Obama, "We the People|Stop Apache Land Grab" in which the White House gave an official response.

Indian Country Today has on-going coverage of the Native American mascot controversy, or the use of Indian images in names and sports. The publication has featured numerous stories and editorials on the Washington Redskins name controversy and its team owner Dan Snyder.

Since before 2016, ICTMN has covered the continuing issues over Standing Rock Sioux and other tribal opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline project, which proposed to put oil pipeline below the Missouri River and extend through four states. The Sioux objected to the Army Corps of Engineers' acceptance of less than a full Environmental Impact Statement, saying the project threatened their water quality and would destroy ancient artifacts and burial grounds. It sought an injunction to halt construction of the project. The case has attracted national and international attention and coverage. After a federal court refused the injunction, the Department of Justice, Dept. of Interior and Army Corps of Engineers entered the case at the national level, halting construction temporarily. Standing Rock Sioux protesters at the site have been joined by activists from hundreds of other tribes and supporters, including from indigenous peoples in South America. The ICTMN published its first "single-subject, event-driven edition in [its] history" in October 2016, based on the reporting done and exploring the many complex issues related to the project and protests.

Awards

Indian Country Today has won numerous awards at the Native American Journalists Association. In 2014, ICTMN earned 17 awards including Best Digital Publication for its 12-page digital newsletter and first place for General Excellence. In 2013, ICTMN took 11 awards at the conference.

Writers, editors, and contributors

Indian Country Today has included staff writers Rob Capriccioso, Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief; Mark Fogarty; Terri Crawford Hansen (Environment and Science); and Larry Spotted Crow Mann. Mark Trahant is the 2014 Atwood Chair of Journalism at the University of North Dakota; he is former president of the Native American Journalists Association and a former executive news editor of The Salt Lake Tribune. He writes a regular column on national and regional politics, noting issues that affect Indian country. In 2016 he explored the increasing participation of Native Americans in electoral politics. They have had many successes in gaining local (including school board and city council seats) and statewide offices, and covered candidates for statewide and national offices.

Regular columnists include Steve Russell of Oklahoma's Cherokee tribe, an associate professor emeritus of criminal justice at Indiana University Bloomington, as well as Steven Newcomb (Shawnee, Lenape), co-founder and co-director of the Indigenous Law Institute in California.

Suzette Brewer of the Cherokee Nation is the former public affairs officer for the National Museum of the American Indian. She has received recognition for her in-depth coverage of the "Baby Veronica" case and other stories related to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).

In 2013, Marty Two Bulls, an Oglala Lakota cartoonist and satirist for ICTMN, was profiled by the Associated Press.