Sheena Roetman-Wynn

Outstanding coverage of Indigenous people across the globe will be recognized during IMC26 The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) will present 128 awards recognizing outstanding coverage of Indigenous communities on Friday, July 24, as part of the 2026 Indigenous Media Conference at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront in Portland, Oregon. The annual Indigenous Media Awards contest recognizes excellence in reporting by Indigenous and non-Indigenous journalists from across the globe.

The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) has selected Shannon Shaw Duty (Osage Nation) as the recipient of two 2026 IJA Distinguished Awards: the IJA-Medill Milestone Achievement Award and the Minnie Two Shoes Award for Excellence in Tribal Media. “It is an incredible honor to name Shannon as the recipient for both the Medill and Minnie Two Shoes award. It is a first in IJA history to name both awards in the same year to the same nominee,” said IJA president Sunnie Clahchischiligi.

The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) has selected Chelsea Curtis (Diné) as the recipient of the 2026 Richard LaCourse Award for Investigative Journalism for her groundbreaking work using digital tools to document Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and to create an interactive reporting database and map at the Arizona Luminaria.