Hello, Verified News Community!
VNN’s Trista Vaughn is here with your March News Byte. Let’s start this newscast with some exciting growth news for VNN, just in time for Spring!
Our first Citizen Journalism Project cohort wrapped up in Tulsa this month. Participants traveled from all across Oklahoma to take part. 85 percent of those participants were Indigenous. We are working on more advancements for that program, so stay tuned!
The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition launched their Oral History Project in Oklahoma City. The project gives survivors of Native American Boarding schools the opportunity to share their stories and gain access to mental health and trauma support.
NABS Elder-in-Residence Sandy White Hawk (Sicangu Lakota) said Native ways, songs and medicines are what heal Native people and bring them back, such as what was experienced in OKC.
And in other Indigenous news, “Aunties Acting Up: Volume Two” returned to Tulsa on March 23, making room for Native women to have their voices heard in the comedy industry.
Taking a tragic turn, an update to the death of non-binary Owasso High School Student and Choctaw descendant Nex Benedict.
The state of Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office concluded Bennedict died by suicide this month. The U-S Department of Education is investigating Owasso Public Schools due to a complaint filed by the Human Rights Campaign related to Benedict’s death. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 9-8-8.
A wall breaking was held for Native Spaces in downtown Broken Arrow this month.
For owner Steven Hollabaugh (Cherokee), Broken Arrow Main Street’s combination of Native American heritage and sense of community embodies the culture he honors through his business Native Strategies. It’s also what makes it Native Spaces’ ideal location.
The company plans to build out the new space in two phases. The first phase, a co-working and short-term rental space, is expected to be completed in October 2024. The second phase, rooftop event venues, are expected to be completed in 2025.
And, also in Broken Arrow, Not Your Average Joe’s award-winning coffee chain is creating space for people with disabilities to work and thrive.
This story, told in partnership with VNN Affiliate Broken Arrow Sentinel, is full of cool facts - including their employee Andi Parnacher, a citizen of Choctaw Nation with Kiowa and Chickasaw lineage, becoming the first Specialty Coffee Association certified Native American female roaster in the world.
Our team was in Pawhuska this month for the Osage Oscars as our partners at Osage News were in Hollywood for the big night.
While the cast and crew of “Killers of The Flower Moon” did not win any Oscars this year, attendees had a great time celebrating the 10 nominations the film received.
And in other collaborative events, the Choctaw Cultural Center hosted the “Choctaw Irish Friendship Fest” over St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
The event celebrated the “Kindred Spirit” bond between the Choctaw Nation and the Irish. Cultural elements from both nations were showcased during the event.
That’s all for this month’s newscast. We have so much more available in the VNN newsfeed. Download our free app to your home screen, register your free account, and make our diverse content part of your news routine.
Subscribe to our email updates through our website or Substack as well as our YouTube channel- if you haven’t already!
Thanks for another great month, Verified News Community. We’ll see you back here in April!