Our staff, reporters, freelancers and consultants at the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance – publisher of Buffalo’s Fire – work diligently to produce local news for our American Indian communities in Bismarck, N.D. and the surrounding area. We recognize the important work being done by Native individuals, groups and organizations in our area.
A key role of local, independent media is to amplify community voices. The stories provide a portal into the lives of our people, it’s a good snapshot providing our tribal leaders the opportunity to “act in accordance to the will of the people.” Acting on behalf of the people is one of the three pillars of tribal sovereignty as defined by the late scholar Vine Deloria Jr.
We don’t seek accolades for our work. So, when the Media and Democracy Project notified us that Buffalo’s Fire was selected for the Local Journalism Bright Spot Award, we greatly appreciated the recognition. We didn’t know we were on the national organization’s radar.
In a Media and Democracy Project Substack news release, project members wrote Buffalo’s Fire is a news outlet “dedicated to producing independent journalism that enhances the quality of life for Native communities, informing and engaging American Indians while sharing their stories with the broader culture. This recognition was based on their exceptional community reporting, which includes advocating for tenant rights in North Dakota to combat daily evictions and promoting sobriety and community-building in the Turtle Mountain homeless shelter.”
We have our full-time reporter, Adrianna Adame, a Report for America corps member, to thank for her steadfast commitment to meeting with community members and telling their stories.
The Substack news release also noted the reporting of our board member, Nancy Marie Spears, for “a remarkable series on the child welfare system,” a reporting series launched by The Imprint.
In addition, the project noted Buffalo’s Fire “leads the way for all news outlets by setting standards of ethics, independence and transparence” as members of the global Trust Project. Buffalo’s Fire is the first American Indian news organization to become a member of the Trust Project.
We appreciate the Media and Democracy Project, a non-partisan, all-volunteer, grassroots civic membership organization working for a more informative and pro-democracy media operating in the public interest. The organization advocates for a number of issues, including civic engagement and the support of local and non-profit journalism.
The Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance, a 501-C-3 non-profit digital news outlet, agrees with the Media and Democracy Project’s position that “a well-informed citizenry is the foundation of a democratic society. News and media affect our opinions, voting decisions, degree of civic engagement and ultimately shape the health of our government and society.”