Muscogee Nation votes to amend constitution to include press freedoms, after tribal council abolished them

Almost three years ago, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation's National Council passed a law repealing freedom of the press protections for its tribally funded media outlet, Mvskoke Media, dissolving its editorial board, and putting the staff under the authority of the tribal government. The move sparked outrage, and recently citizens of the Oklahoma-based tribe voted to amend their constitution to mandate funding for Mvskoke Media and include protections for its workers, Editor & Publisher reports.

1866 boundaries of tribes in what became Oklahoma;
the Creek tribe is now named the Muscogee Nation.

Because tribal reservations are sovereign nations, they're not required to comply with laws guaranteeing open government, and many tribal governments keep local newspapers on a short leash. "Since tribal councils own the vast majority of the approximately 200 Native American newspapers, little leeway is given to any analysis of government activity," Editor & Publisher reports. "Reporters are often prohibited from writing critical stories about tribal leaders, and access to tribal records on most reservations is nonexistent. As a result, reporters who dare to question the tribal government will often find themselves out of a job or their newsrooms shut down."

A new episode of the webcast "E&P Reports" explores Native American news publishing and the challenges tribal journalists face in accessing press freedoms. Click here to watch.