Native stories told by Native
journalists, on Native terms.
For 45 years, The Circle has covered the stories that mainstream media ignores, misrepresents, or flattens into stereotypes. Tribal sovereignty disputes. Treaty rights cases. The health crises unfolding on reservation and in urban communities. The artists, educators, and leaders building something new. The elders holding something ancient.
We are not a tribal newspaper. We have no government affiliation. Our editorial independence is the foundation of our credibility, and our credibility is what makes this work matter. When The Circle reports on a federal pipeline permit or a state consultation failure, tribal nations, legal advocates, and policymakers pay attention because they know we are not speaking for any one government or faction. We are speaking for the community.
That independence has a cost. It means we do not have a tribal budget behind us. We do not have a corporate owner underwriting our losses. We exist because readers, donors, and foundations believe that independent Native journalism is worth funding. We are asking you to be part of that.
“The Circle was where we found ourselves reflected honestly. Not as a problem to be solved or a story to be explained to outsiders. As a community with a full and complicated life.”
Long-time reader, Red Lake Nation, Minnesota
Editorial independence
No tribal affiliation. No corporate ownership. No advertiser influence over editorial decisions. The Circle’s reporters and editors make all content decisions independently. Funders are acknowledged publicly but have no editorial input.
Native voices, Native perspectives
The majority of our reporting staff are enrolled citizens of tribal nations. We cover Native communities as they are, not as outsiders imagine them. We do not require a non-Native frame of reference to tell our stories.
No paywall, ever
Every story we publish is free to read. We believe access to quality journalism should not depend on the ability to pay a subscription fee. That commitment requires donor support to sustain.
Accountability journalism
We investigate. We file FOIA requests. We cover federal court proceedings that affect tribal sovereignty. We do the work that takes time, resources, and institutional support. Reader donations fund that work directly.
