MHA Nation Tomorrow, an initiative of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota, issued a report calling for freedom of the press on the reservation and for The MHA Times, the tribe's newspaper. Photo from Myron Anthony Foote / Facebook
Jay Daniels of Round House Talk weighs in on freedom of the press in Indian Country following the firing of award-winning journalist Jodi Rave Spotted Bear from The MHA Times, the newspaper of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation:
One of the greatest freedoms we have is the freedom of the press. Without it, we are left in the dark about issues or concerns except in the dark recesses of secrecy. We are left to wonder if the Gawonisgi (Cherokee word for gossip) is true or just another attempt to discredit another person. I worked 20 years for the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. The tribes financially supported the nationally award winning "tribal newspaper" Wotanin Wowapi. A few years back, a new tribal administration attempted to reign in the news if they believed it to be negative reporting about tribal council actions. Eventually, they fired Ms. Bonnie Clincher, now passed on, and handed the newspaper over to another individual. Ms. Clincher was respected nationally as a Native American Journalist and won many national awards. It didn't deter Ms. Clincher who proceeded to establish a new weekly newspaper named Fort Peck Journal. It was fully funded without tribal funding by Ms. Clincher and her former Wotanin Wowapi staff who followed her in establishing the Fort Peck Journal. I'm sure others who believed in Ms. Clincher as a protection of their right to know also contributed in some manner. Ms. Clincher still experienced opposition from tribal council members, but she persisted in presenting the truth to the tribal membership without fear of being fired. The Journal has now become an award winning newspaper and the Wotanin Wowapi eventually failed under new leadership and no longer exists. I write because I love to so I can write it how I see it without fear of being fired. Doesn't mean I can run roughshod past the truth, but I can write the truth even if folks get upset. News isn't news when it's replaced by perception and manipulation, but lacks substance.Get the Story:
Jay Daniels: Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, Editor of MHA Times: Relieved of Employment after writing a critical tribal news article (Round House Talk 9/30) Interior Board of Indian Appeals Decision:
Charles K. Hudson v. Great Plains Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs (September 15, 2015)
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