Smoke Signals wins three IJA awards

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Smoke Signals has won three awards for journalism excellence in the 2024 Indigenous Media Awards given out by the Indigenous Journalists Association, including an award for general excellence.

Smoke Signals placed third for best overall publication in its circulation category of between 5,000 to 10,000 copies printed per edition.

“It’s so great to see the quality journalism that the Smoke Signals publishes be rewarded and recognized in Indian Country,” Grand Ronde Editorial Board Chair Mia Prickett said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’re doing to bring timely information to our people.”

Smoke Signals also received an award for the story “Tribal member may grow out his hair, Army says,” which profiled Grand Ronde Tribal member and U.S. Army Maj. Patrick Sorenson, who became one of the first Indigenous men in the Army’s nearly 250-year history who was allowed to grow out of his hair and wear eagle feathers in some official military ceremonies.

The story won third-place in the Best Coverage of Indigenous Communities category and was written by Smoke Signals Editor Danielle Harrison. 

Social Media/Digital Journalist Kamiah Koch won a second-place award for Best Feature Story in the radio/podcast category for her podcast about Grand Ronde’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous People billboard near Spirit Mountain Casino.

The awards, for work published in 2023, were announced on Friday, June 21, and will be given out during the annual IJA convention, which is being held this year in July in Oklahoma City.

Smoke Signals has now won 134 state and national journalism awards since 2007.