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In late April, the inaugural Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondent cohort traveled to Washington, DC, to attend the 10th annual Planet Forward Summit. Over four inspiring days, the group engaged with environmental leaders and storytellers from diverse fields and backgrounds, learned more about impactful environmental communication strategies and sustainable solutions and shared their stories on the Summit stage. For an in-depth account of the Indigenous Correspondents' immersive four-day experience, along with the stories that resonated with them the most, read on.

“Tension keeps people engaged during a story - whether it be a podcast, documentary, or an article. Compelling stories don’t just highlight an issue; they follow the journey of a hero, or multiple heroes, trying to accomplish something while encountering “helpers” and “hinderers” along the way. It’s the interactions with these other characters and forces that create tension and compelling stakes for a good story,” noted Anishnaabe television and radio journalist Duncan McCue during the Ilíiaitchik program’s third workshop, titled “Producing a Publication-ready Story & Pitching.”

This prestigious new honorary award recognizes outstanding individuals making a positive impact in tribal communities to create healthy environments. An award ceremony was held at the 2nd Annual Tribal Leaders Summit: Advancing Tribal Health in Phoenix, AZ on November 4th.

“The key to being a good interviewer is being a good listener,” advised Valerie Vande Panne, Mentor/Editor for IRes’and Planet Forward’s Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program. This was one of many lessons learned by Indigenous Correspondents during the Ilíiaitchik program’s second workshop titled “The Art of the Interview,” which was co-led by Vande Panne and former CNN correspondent, Planet Forward’s founder, and Emmy-award-winning journalist Frank Sesno.

For Indigenous people, storytelling has been much more than a means of entertainment for thousands of years. Native communities have employed storytelling as the primary mode of communicating cultural beliefs and community values, as well as critical ecological, historical, and spiritual knowledge to the next generation since time immemorial.