About The Circle News
Founded in 1980, The Circle has spent more than four decades telling the stories of Native communities from a Native perspective.
What began as an in-house publication of the Minneapolis American Indian Center grew into one of the longest-running independent Native American newspapers in the country.
Today, that legacy continues through The Circle’s quarterly print magazine and TheCircleNews.org, where we publish Native news, arts, culture, politics, community stories, and perspectives throughout the year.
In 2026, The Circle entered a new chapter.
After 45 years of traditional newspaper publishing, we reimagined The Circle for the way people read, share stories, and connect today. Our quarterly print magazine gives writers, artists, photographers, and communities room for deeper storytelling, while our growing digital publication allows us to report and share Native news throughout the year.
The format may be evolving, but our purpose has not.
The Circle is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit publication with no corporate owner and no tribal government affiliation. That independence allows us to serve Native communities while maintaining the editorial freedom that has defined The Circle for generations.
We cover the stories that matter to the people we serve: treaty rights, sovereignty, health, education, the arts, the land, the water, the young, and the old. We do it with the same rigor and the same standards as any serious news organization, because our readers deserve nothing less.
The Circle News and TheCircleNews.org are owned and operated by The Circle Corporation, a registered 501(c)3 non-profit.
Native American communities are the authorities on their own lives. We report from within, not from a distance. We do not require a non-Native frame of reference to make our stories legible.
MANAGING EDITOR
Editorial · Broadcasting · Native Media
Robert Pilot is Managing Editor of The Circle and host of Native Roots Radio. A longtime Native media professional, he brings experience in journalism, broadcasting, and community engagement while leading The Circle’s next chapter. His work focuses on amplifying Native voices and creating space for Native stories, perspectives, and communities in media.
Ho-Chunk Nation
ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE & NEWS EDITOR
Advertising · Editorial · Operations
Victoria Fox supports The Circle across editorial production, advertising, operations, community outreach, and partnerships. Since joining the publication in 2026, she has helped support its relaunch and continued growth as a quarterly print magazine and digital publication.
Ho-Chunk Nation
Reservation & Tribal Government
BOARD CHAIR
Han mitakuye oyasin, my name is Melissa Buffalo, I am a citizen of the Meskwaki Nation with Dakota ancestry and serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Indian Cancer Foundation. My work has been inspired by my family’s experience with cancer. I am passionate about strengthening our Native communities, uplifting our relatives’ voices, and creating opportunities for future generations to thrive. I also am honored to be mom to my kiddos, MIlls and Cepa and I spend many weekends in a basketball gym.
Meskwaki Nation
Shirley Sneve is the senior producer for the ICT Newscast, a program of IndiJ Public Media. The weekly half-hour magazine show airs on 80 percent of PBS stations, Australia, Canada and several on-line streaming platforms, including Free Speech TV. A member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Sneve is also affiliated with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. She directed Vision Maker Media from 2004-2019, which is the largest US funder of Indigenous documentary film projects for public broadcasting. She lives in Lincoln, Nebraska and serves on the boards of The Circle (Minneapolis, MN) The Center for Rural Strategies (Whitesburg, KY) and Arts Extension Institute (Amherst, MA).
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska
