Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) Announces 2008 Award Winners

Best High School News Story: “Legislators Want English as Official Language”
Rebekka Schlichting (Kickapoo Nation School)

Best College Feature: “Damming Tradition”
Terria Smith (Humboldt State University)

Best College News Story: “Crackdown on False Alarms Pays Off”
Nancy Kelsey (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)Best Feature Story (Daily/Weekly): “After the Deluge”
Kara Briggs (The Oregonian)

Best Layout Magazine: SAY Magazine
Leslie Lounsbury

Best Online Visual Graphic: Indian Country Today
Marty Two Bulls

Best Layout Tabloid: CUJ
Wil Phinney

Best Online Writing:
Potawatomi Traveling Times

Best Column: “Build Strong Economic Base Using Casino Funds”
Doug Cutthand (Saskatoon Star Phoenix)

General Excellence (Daily/Weekly)
Duane A. Beyal (The Navajo Times)

General Excellence in Radio: “The Earth Our Mother”
Shaneen Robinson (NCI FM)

Best Associate News Story: “Cultural Issues Cloud Custody Case”
Cindy Yurth (Navajo Times)

Best Column (Monthly/Bimonthly): “Blueberry Picking as a Method of Torture”
Kalvin Perron

Richard Lacourse Award (Investigative Reporting)
Cindy Yurth, Jason Begay, Bill Donovan, Annie Greenberg, Marley Shebala (Navajo Times)

Best Environmental (Daily/Weekly):
Terri Hansen

General Excellence (Monthly/Bimonthly)
Leslie Lounsbury (SAY Magazine)

Best News Story (Daily/Weekly): “Audit: OnSat overpaid by more than $650,000”
Jason Begay (Navajo Times)

Best Associate Beat Coverage of Native Americans: “A Century on the Rez”
Cindy Yurth (Navajo Times)

Best Editorial “Injustice for Indian Women”
Randi Rourke (Indian Country Today)

Best Environmental Story (Monthly/Bimonthly):
Deborah Locke (Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa)

Best Sports Story:
Eric Bailey (Tulsa World)

Best News Story (Monthly/Bimonthly): “Tribal Victory”
Terri C. Hansen

Best Feature Story (Montly/Bimonthly): “An Ick-quired Taste?”
Ron Karten (Smoke Signals)

Best Photo Feature: “Mud”
Donovan Quintero (Navajo Times)

Best Photo News: “Purple Heart”
Donovan Quintero (Navajo Times)

Best Television Feature: “Magic on the Water”
Tracy Jack (Straight Arrow)

NAJA Milestone Award:
Jack Marsh, Vice President, Diversity Programs of the Freedom Forum