Oneida Nation to Donate Indian Country Today Media Network Assets to NCAI

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) announced that it is assuming control of the assets of Indian Country Today Media Network (ICTMN), the result of a donation to the organization by the Oneida Indian Nation.

“NCAI’s Executive Officers and I are humbled by this donation from ICTMN and the Oneida Indian Nation,” said NCAI President Brian Cladoosby. “Their love for Indian country carries through their every word and has inspired our tribal communities to tell their own stories. This is an immense responsibility; NCAI will approach this responsibility thoughtfully and deliberately with an eye towards strengthening Indian country’s voice.”

ICTMN recently halted operations to evaluate its next steps in the face of unprecedented changes in the publishing industry, changes that have presented complicated challenges for every media organization across the country.

“ICTMN has been the flagship publication producing unique and original reporting about Indian country—and the Oneida Indian Nation has played a pivotal role in forging that legacy,” said NCAI Executive Director Jacqueline Pata. “After years of strong investments, we appreciate the Oneida Nation now turning over ICTMN’s assets to our organization, and we look forward to convening meetings with key stakeholders over the next several months to construct a blueprint for how to best respectfully carry on ICTMN’s mission.”

Over the past four decades the ICTMN has evolved from a local weekly print newsletter, to a national magazine, and now an online news syndicate reporting on the ground from— and for—Indian country about the critical issues impacting Native nations and peoples in the United States and around the globe.

“When the Oneida Indian Nation decided to purchase Indian Country Today Media Network, we had a singular goal in mind: we wanted to create award-winning journalism that gives voice to Native Americans, wherever they lived. ICTMN clearly achieved that goal,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter. “We know that when we leave our stories to be told only by other media outlets, those stories too often go untold—or aren’t told accurately. ICTMN proved that we do not have to sit idly by while that happens. We are very happy to be able to donate ICTMN’s assets to NCAI—an organization whose entire mission is to advocate for tribal sovereignty and treaty rights and advance a common understanding of who Native nations and peoples are today.”

During its years being supported by the Oneida Indian Nation, the organization was recognized for its groundbreaking journalism spotlighting the complex issues facing Native nations and communities, earning several prestigious awards—30 alone in 2017 from the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA); multiple Clarion Awards; and individual awards and grants to contributors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Herb Block Prize for cartooning, USC’s Annenberg Center, and the Playboy Foundation.