NCAI 2026 Press Freedom Resolution

Freedom of Information is more than a legal principle—it’s a pathway to public trust, visibility, government accountability, community power, and an informed citizenry. These are all key components of modern democracy, which has deep roots in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy's historical representative governance model. At the Native Media Freedom Alliance, we work to protect and expand this tradition. We appreciate how consensus and open access to public information allow communities to tell their stories, challenge misinformation, and advocate for meaningful change.

The Native Media Freedom Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2016 and dedicated to advancing freedom to access and disseminate information for tribes, their communities, individuals, and media organizations. These freedoms strengthen sovereignty through culturally informed practices, build trust in leadership and governance, and improve quality of life for all. News and information are also critical to economic development and sustainable, thriving communities. The Native Media Freedom Alliance https://imfreedomalliance.org/ organization also publishes independent news online at https://www.buffalosfire.com/.

Member Tribes of the alliance have access to media expertise and support, including consultation on best practices and development of recommendations for external media and communications policies and procedures. Tribal Media organizations are also invited to join our growing media collective, a collaborative ecosystem. By addressing systemic challenges, such as resource limitations and revenue instability, the initiative lays the groundwork for a resilient, interconnected Native news ecosystem. In the long term, this project:

  • Assists tribes in developing freedom of information channels within tribal government operations. We understand each tribe has specific needs and circumstances.
  • Builds sustainable infrastructure to build independent Native news organizations.
  • Strengthens the voice of Native communities in the media landscape.
  • Provides a replicable model for collaboration among under-resourced news organizations.

Native Media Freedom Alliance’s Momentum

  • September 10, 2026 – NMFA hosted an event at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard featuring a screening of the film, “Bad Press” and a panel discussion including Chris Mercier, Vice Chairman, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.
  • September 11, 2026 – NMFA collaborated with the Harvard Kennedy School Project on Indigenous Governance and Development – formerly the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development – to address democracy in Indian Country through voting and freedom of information. Other collaborating co-presenters included the Harvard University Native American Program and the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Panelists included NMFA’s Jodi Rave Spotted Bear; Regis Pecos, co-director of the Leadership Institute; Jacqueline De Leon, Native American Rights Fund attorney; Tex Hall, former President of NCAI and former Chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes. Larry Wright, Jr., NCAI executive director, provided opening comments for the symposium.
  • Buffalo’s Fire was the first Native newsroom in the U.S. to receive initial MacArthur Foundation Press Forward seed funding, as announced in December 2023. MacArthur also gave us a shout-out in July 2024, “Supporting Rural Voices: New Grants for Local Newsrooms in Appalachia, Mississippi and North Dakota.”
  • MacArthur Foundation awarded NMFA a $500,000 grant in April 2026. Other major funders include the Ford Foundation, Borealis Philanthropy and the Henry Luce Foundation.
  • Buffalo’s Fire has won awards for excellence in journalism: 2021 Silver Telly for digital news video; 2023 Media and Democracy Project; Jodi Rave Spotted Bear wins Inaugural Tim Giago Free Press Award (2023); multiple 2026 Indigenous Media Awards; 2026 Division 1 Society for Features Excellence-in-Journalism, Honorable Mention.

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, is the founder and executive director of the Native Media Freedom Alliance and publisher of the independent news site Buffalo’s Fire. Prior to founding the NMFA, Jodi spent fifteen years reporting for the mainstream press. She has won journalism awards from military, mainstream, university, and Native press organizations, and holds the distinction of receiving both Nieman and John S. Knight journalism fellowships from Harvard and Stanford universities, respectively. She was named a 2020 Knight Science Journalism fellow at MIT, and received a Bush Fellowship in 2021 in recognition of her leadership and for her vision and commitment to helping independent media better serve Native communities.

Jodi’s writing is featured in "The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity," published by Columbia University Press. In 2023, Jodi was selected to serve as a national board member of the Society of Professional Journalists, an organization with about 4,000 members. She is also an SPJ Foundation board member and served as chairperson of SPJ’s Freedom of Information Committee. She also served as an Indigenous Journalists Association board member in 2023-2024. Prior to returning home to North Dakota, Jodi reported on Native issues for Lee Enterprises for more than a decade. Her last reporting post was with the Missoulian in Missoula, Montana.

Our work is not simply about ‘press freedom,’ but about the sacred responsibility to uphold truth, to heal, and to build strong, self-governing communities. This is how we honor our traditions. This is how we ensure our sovereignty. — Jodi Rave Spotted Bear
2026 NCAI Press Freedom Resolution
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