Native Sun News Today: Fundraiser started for Native journalism legend Tim Giago

Indianz.Com > News > Native Sun News Today: Fundraiser started for Native journalism legend Tim Giago

Tim Giago. Photo courtesy Native Sun News Today

GoFundMe for Tim Giago

Monday, July 18, 2022

On July 12, 2022, Tim Giago turned 88. Over the past half century, Tim has had a profound influence on Native American journalism. He founded Indian Country Today, and he co-founded the Native American Journalists Association.

Tim is a proud Navy veteran, and upon his safe return from Korea, he became a prominent Rapid City businessman and had his own half hour Native American affairs show on KEVN TV. When the station attempted to censor his content, Tim decided Natives needed a more independent voice.

In 1981 Tim started the first independently owned Native American newspaper, The Lakota Times, on his home reservation of Pine Ridge, bringing to light the indigenous people and their lifelong battle against a system that nearly destroyed them. Over time Tim recognized the need to report on a national level, and moved the newspaper to Rapid City in 1989. He changed the name to Indian Country Today.

Eventually Tim sold Indian Country Today to accept a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard. Tim was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame, and in 1985 was the recipient of the H. L Mencken Award for editorial writing.

Tim has suffered some major medical issues, and in his lifetime of giving, he is in the need of us giving back. His family has set up a GoFundMe account in order to help with medical and household improvements, due to the medical issues. No gift is too small. Please visit his go fund me page at gofund.me/0786213.