Produced by Indian, non-Indian UA students in their free time
These are the faces of the Native Americans in the first independent, student-produced Native American journal in Arizona.
The young Navajo behind it is a journalist on a mission to help fellow Native Americans connect with their culture and examine their identities.
Candace Begody, a UA journalism senior, founded a student chapter of the Native American Journalists Association last year with the goal of producing a news journal focused on Native voices and issues.
The first issue of Native Perspectives came out Wednesday, and about 50 people helped Begody celebrate the landmark.
Begody said she wanted to produce the 12-page tab-sized news journal because she didn't think the mainstream media did a good job of covering Native American life.
"When people think of a Native person trying to make a difference, they often associate it with the term 'militant' or even 'radical,' " she said. "But when you see these people we write about, you see them making a difference in other ways. I hope readers will read this and see that Native Americans don't all live in tepees and they aren't all alcoholics. They're into sports, they're into their careers, they're into their language, their culture, their homes and families."
I applaud those involved the first independent, student-produced Native American journal in Arizona. I must admit I find the concept of covering the range of Native issues or the range of the peoples involved rather grand considering our diversity and reach of locations, but taking into account the paper’s university location the pool of contribution from which they have to select from may truly give a broader and diverse inkling of those issues at hand. I sincerely hope that those involved find their footing because the desire to reflect contemporary issues that confront peoples and communities is one worth brining to fruition, even if it means adjusting the expectation and scope of such a paper by representing a smaller group of peoples in a true and honest light.
ReplyDeleteWith true sincerity and hope for longevity I wish them the Best of Luck!
There is a definite need for REAL Indian journalists and an even greater need for (far more successful than what is currently available) Native-specific news venues as there is always way too much going on in "Indian Country" that is simply missed or never reported on.
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