Anchorage, AK (December 17, 2024) — A groundbreaking partnership involving two leading Indigenous news nonprofits and a regional journalism collaboration will highlight the ways that climate change is disrupting tribal communities from Alaska to Florida.
Koahnic Broadcast Corp., Native Public Media and the Mountain West News Bureau have created “Our Living Lands,” a five-minute, weekly radio segment that will launch in December. Led by an Indigenous team – an editor, producer and host – it will provide a new platform for tribal voices and solutions, as well as a national window into the issues.
It also will fill a significant gap in news coverage relevant to Indian Country, says Loris Taylor, President and CEO of Native Public Media. “News always drives audiences to radio, and we wanted to build an audience for the 60 stations of our network by providing news that resonates with our communities.”
Dave Rosenthal, outgoing managing editor of the Mountain West News Bureau, says “Our Living Lands” will explore a wide range of topics, including agriculture, public health and wildfire. “We will detail the enormous challenges posed by climate change – while highlighting moments of hope and problem-solving.”
The Mountain West News Bureau – a collaboration of public radio stations in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada and Utah – includes the Southern Ute tribal station, KSUT.
Koahnic will play a crucial role in the partnership, by providing production talent and distributing the segments. Koahnic President and CEO Jaclyn Sallee says, “We will manage the satellite feed through Native Voice One, ensuring that episodes reach public radio stations and affiliates nationwide. We are excited to bring these important stories to a wider audience.”
The initiative has financial support from organizations including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NPR, the Indigenous Journalists Association and the Solutions Journalism Network.
The “Our Living Lands” team includes host Antonia Gonzales (Navajo), who also is the anchor/producer of Koahnic’s daily news program National Native News; editor Joseph Lee (Aquinnah Wampanoag), who was the Senior Indigenous Affairs Fellow at Grist; and reporter/producer Daniel Spaulding (Nimíipúu), who also hosts an award-winning talk show at tribal radio station KIYE. Incoming Mountain West News Bureau Managing Editor Michael de Yoanna will oversee the program in 2025.