2010 NAJA Media Awards Winners
News Story (Print):
1st Place Bill Donovan, Reporter, Navajo Times, "The Riot of '89"
2nd Place Jeremy Wade Shockley, Photographer, The Southern Ute Drum, "Solix: Fueling a Better World"
3rd Place Ace Striker, Editor, The Southern Ute Drum, "Newton, Dutchie Return to Council"
Beat Coverage of Native Americans (Print):
1st Place Cindy Yurth, Reporter, Navajo Times, "Dine' Author Shares Her Story During Fair"
2nd Place Michelle Spaude, Office Manager, Potawatomi Traveling Times, "Half Marathon Completed"
Daily/Weekly:
1st Place Valerie Taliman, Columnist, Indian Country Today - "Selling the Sacred"
2nd Place Charles Trimble, Columnist, Lakota Country Times - "Iyeska: Notes from Mixed Blood Country"
3rd Place Katsi Cook, Columnist, Indian Country Today - "At the Center, Native Women"
Monthly/Bimonthly:
1st Place Will Chavez, Staff Writer, Cherokee Phoenix - "Indians Can't Ignore Diabetes' Dangers"
2nd Place James Treat, Muscogee Nation News - "West Texas or Worse"
3rd Place Travis Snell, Assistant Editor, Cherokee Phoenix - "Inglesh--Only is da way to go."
1st Place Steve Bonspiel, Editor/Publisher, The Eastern Door, "McIvor Decision is a Big One"
2nd Place Duane A. Beyal, Editor, Navajo Times, "Arrogance and Fear"
3rd Place Tara Manthey, Former Editorial Board Member, Osage News, "Time is of the Essence"
Daily/Weekly:
1st Place Terri Hansen, Correspondent, Indian Country Today, "Climate Change, Drought Transforming Navajo's Dunescape to a Dust Bowl"
2nd Place Marley Shebala, Reporter, Navajo Times, "Asbestos Fine Reduced?"
3rd Place Jordan Standup, Reporter/Photographer, The Eastern Door, "Unwanted Railway Ties on Kanesatake Property Causing a Stink"
Monthly/Bimonthly:
1st Place Debra Krol, Freelance Writer, High Country News, "Cultural Blight"
2nd Place Deborah Locke, Editor, Fond du Lac Reservation, "Buckthorn Be Gone: Invasive Species"
3rd Place Will Chavez, Staff Writer, Cherokee Phoenix, "Adair County Landfill Reopening Brings Concerns"
Honorable Mention Rachel Wise, Editor, Pavement Pieces, "People in Need (part of the series "The Forgotten Navajo")
Daily/Weekly:
1st Place Chee Brossy, Reporter, Navajo Times, "Looking for My Family"
2nd Place Roseanna Renaud, Correspondent, Lakota Country Times, "Vietnam Vet Seeks Military Benefits"
3rd Place Jason Begay, Reporter, Navajo Times, "Teaching Thick Fingers to Weave"
Monthly/Bimonthly:
1st Place Ron Karten, Staff Writer, Smoke Signals - Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, "Man vs. Food"
2nd Place Jami Custer, Staff Writer, Cherokee Phoenix, "Mother Teaches Three Sons Weaving Tradition"
3rd Place Dana Attocknie, Editor, Cherokee & Arapaho Tribal Tribune, "Living Legends: Katherine Hoffman"
Broadsheet:
1st Place Indian Country Today - Ken Polisse, Jr., Managing Editor
2nd Place Navajo Times - Ofelia Nez, Graphic Designer, and Bobby Martin, Production Manager
3rd Place Cherokee Phoenix - Mark Dreadfulwater, Media Specialist
Tabloid:
1st Place Fon du Lac Reservation August, October and November 2009 Newspapers - Deborah Locke, Editor
2nd Place Muscogee Nation News - Rebecca Landsberry, Editor
3rd Place Smoke Signals - Justin Phillips, Page Designer
Newsletter:
1st Place Poarch Creek News - Tribal Newsletter from PBCI - Gayle Johnson, Media Specialist, Poarch Band of Creek Indians
2nd Place SRMT Kawenni:ios - Aimee Benedict, Publications Manager/Webmaster, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
Honorable Mention ICT Insider Education - Ken Polisse, Jr., Managing Editor, Indian Country Today
Magazine:
Honorable Mention Say Magazine - Leslie Locensbury, Publisher
Daily/Weekly:
1st Place Chee Brossy, Reporter, Navajo Times, "FBI Too Harsh in Artifacts Sting?"
2nd Place Rob Capriccioso, Staff Writer, Indian Country Today, "First Lady's Interior Visit Highlights Lack of Native Press Access
3rd Place Jason Begay, Reporter, Navajo Times, "Study Dissects How, Where Tribe Went Wrong with OnSat"
Monthly/Bimonthly:
1st Place Christina Good Voice, Staff Writer, Cherokee Phoenix, "Family Overcomes Obstacles to Get House"
2nd Place Shannon Shaw, Interim Editor, Osage News, "Chief Jim Gray Sues Six Members of Congress for Controversial Meeting"
3rd Place Travis Snell, Assistant Editor, Cherokee Phoenix, "Tribe Budgeted for 526 Unfilled Jobs"
Writing (News or Feature):
1st Place Shannon Shaw, Interim Editor, Osage News, "Five Members of Congress Meet Behind Locked Doors to Discuss Budgetary Cuts"
2nd Place Benny Polacca, Staff Writer, Osage News, "Tribal Members Write Messages on Their Cars to "Pass the Budget!"
3rd Place Jami Custer, Staff Writer, Cherokee Phoenix, "W.W. Hastings Help Clinic Offers Weight Loss Surgery"
News:
1st Place Michelle Alaimo, Photojournalist, Smoke Signals, "Walking Man"
2nd Place Leigh T. Jimmie, Photographer, Navajo Times, "Ramp Riders"
3rd Place Jeremy Wade Shockley, Photographer/Reporter, The Southern Ute Drum, "Bennett Thompson"
Feature:
1st Place Leigh T. Jimmie, Photographer, Navajo Times, "Nature's Bounty"
2nd Place Tara Burnside, Reporter, Confederated Umatilla Journal, "Passing on the Traditions"
3rd Place Jeremy Wade Shockley, Photographer, The Southern Ute Drum, "Bear Dance"
Sports:
1st Place Donovan Quintero, Photographer, Navajo Times, "Sky Pilot"
2nd Place Paul Natonabah, Photographer, Navajo Times, "Console Hug"
3rd Place Leigh T. Jimmie, Photographer, Navajo Times, "First Jump"
Daily/Weekly:
1st Place Sunnie Redhouse, Sports Writer, Navajo Times, "Alone on the Course; April 23 Issue"
2nd Place Jordan Standup, Reporter/Photographer, The Eastern Door, "Racist Refs, Parents and Players Lead Soccer Team to Lodge Complaint"
Monthly/Bimonthly:
1st Place Rhonda LeValdo, Reporter, News from Indian Country, "Haskell Men's Cross Country Wins School's First NAIA Conference Title"
2nd Place Wesley Mahan, Sports Writer, Cherokee Phoenix, "Bradford Honored at Sequoyah Event"
3rd Place Rosemary Stephens, Reporter/Graphic Artist, Cheyenne Arapaho Tribal Tribune, "Runnels Shoots for Division One School"
News:
1st Place Rhonda LeValdo, Video Journalist, Online Newshour - Jim Lehrer, "American Indian Inauguration"
2nd Place Roger Graham, Media Specialist, Cherokee Phoenix, "Cherokee County Water District Furthers Sanitation Project"
3rd Place William Craig Henry, Multimedia Producer, Cherokee Phoenix, "Red Clay Reunites Cherokees"
Feature:
1st Place William Craig Henry, Multimedia Producer, Cherokee Phoenix, "Cherokee Girl Well-Trained in 'Sweet Science' "
2nd Place Mark Dreadfulwater, Media Specialist, Cherokee Phoenix, "Cherokee Nation's Day Work Jobs Success During Slow Economy"
3rd Place Rhonda LeValdo, Reporter, Reznet, "Haskell Women's Basketball"
News Story (Print):
Honorable Mention Katie Bolger, Reporter, Pavement Pieces, "People in Need (part of the series "The Forgotten Navajo")
Feature Story (Print):
1st Place Rachel Morgan, Reporter, Pavement Pieces, "A Family's Pain (part of the series "The Forgotten Navajo")
2nd Place Lori Thomas, Reporter/Photographer, Potawatomi Traveling Times, "The Dangers of Lead to Birds, Waterfowl and Wildlife"
Photo:
Honorable Mention Lori Thomas, Reporter/Photographer, Potawatomi Traveling Times, "Marge Gibson of REGE Hands Clarence Daniels FCP Tribal Member the Sick Eagle He Rescued from Lead Poison"
Radio Story (News):
Honorable Mention Elizabeth Wagner, Reporter, Pavement Pieces, "To Live is to Die (part of the series "The Forgotten Navajo")
Online News Site:
1st Place Tetona Dunlap, Student, "SOZO Movement"
2nd Place Rachel Wise, Editor, Pavement Pieces, "Living with Uranium (part of the series "The Forgotten Navajo")
Daily/Weekly:
1st Place Navajo Times - Tom Arviso, Jr., Publisher/CEO
2nd Place The Eastern Door - Steve Bonspiel, Editor/Publisher
3rd Place Indian Country Today - Ken Polisse, Jr., Managing Editor
Monthly/Bimonthly:
1st Place Cherokee Phoenix - Travis Snell, Assistant Editor
2nd Place Osage News - Shannon Shaw, Interim Editor
3rd Place Confederated Tribe of Siletz Indians, Diane Rodriguez, Public Information Officer
Website:
1st Place Cherokee Phoenix - www.cherokeephoenix.org - William Craig Henry, Multimedia Producer
2nd Place Lakota Country Times - www.lakotacountrytimes.com - Connie Smith, Owner/Publisher
3rd Place The Cherokee One Feather - www.nc-cherokee.com/onefeather - Scott Brings Plenty, Reporter and Dawn Arneach, Subscription Clerk
Television (Sport or breaking news story):
Honorable Mention Native News Today: Episode #140 - Gerald Wofford, Communications Manager, Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Marley Shebala, Reporter, Navajo Times, "Trio Received Thousands in Council Aid"
If you are having problems viewing the results above, you may download the list in PDF by clicking here.
If you would like to see the award winners from 2009, click here.