Winning 14 awards — four 1st place, four 2nd place, three 3rd place, and three honorable mention awards — Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) students were recognized for their achievements in Native journalism at the 2021 National Native Media Awards. Among the first place finishes, student writers collectively received first place for “General Excellence” for their work on The Indian Leader, HINU’s student newspaper.
HINU Media Communications Instructor and Faculty Advisor Rhonda LeValdo said, “As you know the past year dealing with the pandemic showed how crucial having our students continuing to report stories to their peers is …” In addition to the student accolades, LeValdo received 3 National Native Media Awards herself. Together, the award recipients represent the university and highlight the importance of The Indian Leader, the oldest Native American student newspaper. “Congratulations to our students and Onward Haskell!” said LeValdo.
Award Winners
The Indian Leader Association
1st Place – Print – General Excellence
Zachary Arquette
1st Place – Print/Online – Best Environmental Coverage; “Uprooted: Decaying Trees Plan to be Repurposed”
Delila Begay
3rd Place – Print/Online – Best News Story; “Away From Home”
Connor MacDonald
2nd Place – Print/Online – Best News Story; “Haskell FY2021 Funding”
Marklin Morales
2nd Place – Print/Online – Best Environmental Coverage; “The Haskell Glow-Up Coalition”
Jared Nally
1st Place – Print/Online – Best News Story; “Student Safety Jeopardized by Violation of Fifth Amendment”
1st Place – Print/Online – Best Sports Story; “Fightin’ Indians”
2nd Place – Print/Online – Best Feature Photo; “Haskell Instructor Honored with Mural by Past Student”
Honorable Mention – TV – Best News Story; “KC Football honoree stands in solidarity with Native protestors”
Honorable Mention – Print/Online – Best News Photo; “KC Football honoree stands in solidarity with Native protestors”
Joseph Singh
2nd Place – Print/Online – Best Feature Photo; “The Unsung Heroes of Curtis Hall”
3rd Place – Print/Online – Best Feature Photo; “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
Honorable Mention – Print/Online – Best Feature Story; “Emotional Support Animal Spotlight: Brown Sugar”
Makayla Sloan
3rd Place – Print/Online – Best Sport Photo; “Games Through Photos”
