As we close out 2024, we’re reflecting on the incredible year we’ve had at Verified News Network (VNN) and VNN Oklahoma. From growing our audience to launching transformative initiatives, this year has been a testament to the power of Native-owned media in creating meaningful change. Below are the highlights from our year and new upcoming opportunities, as well as a message from VNN President Kelly Tidwell.
2024 Highlights
Indigenous Roots American Indian Symposium
In July, VNN Oklahoma held the first-ever Indigenous Roots American Indian History Symposium in partnership with Osage News. This revolutionary event brought together Native and non-Native people to discuss history and issues impacting Indian Country. Attendees left with actionable insights and renewed energy for collaboration. Plans for the 2025 symposium are already underway!
IRA Collection Release
VNN Oklahoma made a groundbreaking contribution to public access to American Indian history by funding the licensing of the Indian Rights Association (IRA) records, now available for free through the Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL). This extensive digital collection includes court documents, legislative proposals, photographs, and personal letters spanning from 1882 to 1986, with many materials linked to Tulsa's Allotment Era.
Over 100 people have accessed this database already!
Citizen Journalism Project for Underserved Communities
Through in-person learning and hands-on training, VNN empowered community members to share new stories, amplifying voices often left out of mainstream narratives. This initiative has already seen impactful reporting from new citizen journalists across Oklahoma.
Annual Dinner: Fostering Dialogue on Indigenous Challenges
During our annual dinner this November, VNN Oklahoma teamed up with the Irish American Club of Tulsa, the Choctaw Cultural Center, and TCCL’s American Indian Resource Center to celebrate the enduring bond between the Irish and Native American communities, rooted in the hardships of the Great Hunger and the Choctaw Nation's generous gift. Attendees reflected on how this historical connection inspires Indigenous allyship today and offered a unique opportunity to connect across cultures.
The Launch of Tulsa’s Indigenous Truth
VNN’s newest series Tulsa’s Indigenous Truth is a collaborative investigative reporting project focusing on the systematic transfer of wealth from Indigenous people to build the City of Tulsa and benefit its European American settlers. This data-driven approach aims to uncover patterns of wrongdoing and provide key details of this exploitation. And our first investigative story in the series was just released!
Learn more about Tulsa’s Indigenous Truth here.
Stepping Stones and Builders and Backers
This year, we had the incredible honor of participating in the 2024 Stepping Stones Program by Builders + Backers in partnership with Heartland Forward. Stepping Stones began in January, with in-person collaboration and learning to lay the groundwork for scaling the VNN vision. Over the course of the year, we worked closely with the B+B team, gaining invaluable mentorship, resources, and support to set our company on the path to sustainable growth.
Stepping Stones was just one of a handful of partnership programs VNN and VNN Oklahoma took part in this year. We plan to expand many of those collaborations in the new year.
By The Numbers
2024 was also record year for engagement.
600+ attendees at VNN and VNN partner events
74,000+ views on VNN and VNN Oklahoma
31,000+ viewers on VNN and VNN Oklahoma
1,500+ hours watched on YouTube
200 new YouTube subscribers
Looking Ahead to 2025
The Launch of the Decolonized Family Newsletter
This new newsletter will focus on decolonizing community dynamics and creating supportive spaces for Native mixed families.
Indian Country Chatbot
VNN began development of an AI-powered chatbot to combat misinformation and disinformation targeting Native communities this December. With a dedicated team of Native professionals, this innovative tool will provide real-time fact-checking and culturally relevant insights.
Grants and Sustainability
In Q4 2024, VNN secured over $100,000 in key grant funding to sustain and expand our work in 2025, including support for our Indian Country Chatbot described above.
Other grant funded projects for 2025 will include:
A Listening & Learning Tour Across Northeast Oklahoma Reservations
This project will empower and educate underserved Indigenous communities through meaningful engagement, active listening, and culturally relevant information sharing. The "Listening and Learning Tour" will allow VNN to hear directly from community members about their needs and concerns, shaping more responsive and impactful programming for the future.
VNN Oklahoma's Listening & Learning Tour is supported by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation in partnership with Local Media Foundation.
MMIWG2T Historical Reporting Project
VNN Oklahoma's MMIWG2T Historical Reporting Project will create specialized training for researching and reporting connections between the historical trauma of Native communities and MMIWG2T today. This training collaborative will include Indigenous journalists from several news organizations, producing a series of 15-20 MMIWG2T-related articles using the documents from the Indian Rights Association (IRA) collection and other available resources. This project will also yield a Historical Reporting toolkit to further this work.
This project is supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Fund for Indigenous Journalists: Reporting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, TwoSpirit and Transgender People (MMIWG2T).
Indigenous journalists are encouraged to apply here.
Expanded coverage of our Native District, the majority of VNN Oklahoma’s coverage
VNN Oklahoma will join Report For America as a host newsroom in 2025. The corps member placed with us will bring critical coverage to our Native District beat.
This Native District beat focuses on reporting within Indian Country. The role involves investigating systemic issues, highlighting cultural preservation efforts, and amplifying Indigenous narratives. This will also be a newsroom leadership position, requiring at least five years of experience in news and a willingness to mentor others.
Apply for our open Report For America position here.
These and other in-the-works funds will enable us to continue developing critical resources and programs for Native communities.
A Message from VNN President Kelly Tidwell
2024 has been a year of transformation for Verified News Network.
As the President of VNN, I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact our work has had on Indigenous communities across Oklahoma. Through culturally relevant reporting, resource-sharing, and community events, we’ve bridged gaps, built trust, and empowered our people to take control of their narratives.
One of the most humbling moments this year was hearing from attendees of the Indigenous Roots Symposium who said they felt seen and heard in ways they never had before. Similarly, the success of the Citizen Journalism Project has shown us that when given the tools and platform, our communities have powerful stories to tell—and the world is ready to listen.
We’ve tackled issues like misinformation, systemic inequities, and cultural preservation head-on, but there’s still so much work to do. As we move into 2025, we remain committed to decolonizing our communities, amplifying Native voices, and fostering dialogue that creates lasting change.
Thank you to everyone who has supported VNN this year—our readers, partners, and community members. Your trust and engagement fuel our mission every day.
In solidarity,
Muscogee (Creek) and Cherokee
VNN President | CEO
Stay connected and continue to support Native-led media by subscribing to our newsletter, donating, or joining one of our upcoming events. Together, we can continue to make an impact!
Thank you for an incredible 2024!
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