Indian Country Today editor to speak at UM
MISSOULA – Mark Trahant, editor-at-large of Indian Country Today, will present the 2022 Dean Stone Lecture at the University of Montana on April 7. The event celebrates the founding dean of the UM School of Journalism, Arthur Stone.
As the Dean Stone distinguished lecturer, Trahant will give a public talk titled “Crafting a Narrative of Indigenous Excellence” at 7 p.m. in the University Center Theater. He will focus on why it’s so important to have more voices in journalism.
Under Trahant’s leadership, Indian Country Today evolved into a daily digital news platform covering the Indigenous world of American Indians, Alaska Natives and First Nation people reaching some 800,000 readers a month. ICT was founded in 1981 as a print publication, and, after nearly going under in 2017, was reimagined and relaunched as a digital-first platform with a television presence in some 30 markets.
Trahant currently is working on an Indigenous economics project – a comprehensive examination of the contributions made by tribes to regional economies – as well as a look at how the new standards of the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing tool impact both extractive resource development and climate change.
A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, Trahant is known for his election reporting in Indian Country, developing the first comprehensive database of American Indians and Alaska Natives running for office. His research has been cited in publications ranging from The New York Times to The Economist and Teen Vogue.
His previous work includes reporting for PBS “Frontline.” His most recent “Frontline” piece, “The Silence,” was about sexual abuse by priests in an Alaska Native village. He was the editorial page editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and has worked for The Arizona Republic, Salt Lake Tribune, The Seattle Times, the Navajo Times Today and the Sho-Ban News.
UM’s Dean Stone Lecture celebrates the founding of the School of Journalism. The next night on Friday, April 8, the school will hold its annual Dean Stone Scholarship and Awards Banquet, where more than $200,000 in scholarships are given to current and incoming journalism students.