Native Sun News Today Editorial: Mark your calendars for Native media convention

A dancer at the Black Hills Powwow, which has taken place annually in Rapid City, South Dakota, to help celebrate Native American Day. The 2020 event was postponed due to COVID-19, but a celebration in 2021 is back on the calendar along with a National Native American Media Convention being hosted by Native Sun News Today publisher Tim Giago. Photo by Jeremiah M. Murphy

National Native American Media Convention is planned for Rapid City on Native American Day

Friday, May 7, 2021

By Native Sun News Editorial Board

nativesunnews.today

The way things are going in South Dakota it looks like everything, businesses and restaurants, etc., will all be back doing business as usual by the 4th of July. The Lakota Nation Invitational Basketball Tournament is now on again as is the Black Hills Powwow.

This is great news to all of the Lakota people who missed out on them because of the pandemic last year. And once again the Native American Day Parade will be held in Rapid City on Native American Day (October 11). Bruce Long Fox, the director of the parade, thought it would be touch and go, but sponsors are lining up and the City is now open for business.

Not to be outdone, Native Sun News Today Publisher Tim Giago has decided to sponsor a National Native American Media Convention on Native American Day in October. He is still putting the plans together and will provide much more information in the next couple of weeks. The conference will feature classes for young Native journalists, workshops for editors and publishers, and an array of great Native media professionals as speakers.

Giago was disappointed that the Native American Journalists Association decided to cancel its convention this year, but he felt this is such an important and critical years for news makers that there had to be a national meeting to address some of the media problems still confronting Indian Country.

Plus it will be a great time for Native Journalists from all across America to visit South Dakota. They can join in the Native American Day Parade, dance at the Black Hills Powwow and visit all of the sights in the Black Hills that draw so many tourists each year. It will give these Native journalists a reason to go back to their home states and ask their governors why South Dakota is the only state in the Union to have and official holiday to celebrate the lives of its Native American citizens.