Patty Talahongva facts for kids

Patty Talahongva, born in 1962, is a journalist and news leader from the Hopi tribe. Her Hopi name is Qotsak-ookyangw Mana. She made history as the first Native American to anchor a national news show in the U.S. Patty also works to help young Native Americans and improve their communities. She used to be the president of the Native American Journalists Association. In 2016, she won their Medill Milestone Achievement Award. Since 2019, she has been a news executive for a national TV news program. This program was created by Indian Country Today at Arizona State University.

Patty Talahongva's Early Life and Education

Patricia A. Talahongva was born in 1962 in Denver, Colorado. Her Hopi name, Qotsak-ookyangw Mana, means "white spider girl". Her parents were from the Hopi Reservation in Arizona. They had moved to Denver because of a government program. This program aimed to help Native Americans move to cities.

Returning to Hopi Culture

When Patty was four, her family moved back to their village. They lived in Songoopavi in Second Mesa, Arizona. Her parents wanted Patty and her sisters to stay connected to their Hopi culture. Patty had both a Catholic and Hopi upbringing. She learned English as a child, not the Hopi language.

School Days

Patty went to public school outside the reservation. After her father passed away, her mother went back to school. She earned a master's degree and became an English teacher. Because her mother was very busy, Patty and one sister went to a Native American residential school in Phoenix. She attended the Phoenix Indian School from 1978 to 1979. Then she moved to Flagstaff High School and graduated in 1980.

College and Journalism Training

Patty continued her education after high school. She first went to Northern Arizona University. Later, she transferred to Arizona State University. There, she studied at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Patty Talahongva's Journalism Career

Patty Talahongva started her journalism career early. While at the Phoenix boarding school, she was a youth reporter. She worked for the Phoenix Gazette newspaper. She also began working at KOAI-TV station in Flagstaff. Even as a teenager, she was important to the TV station. Rules required the station to have a Hopi or Navajo person on staff. This was because the station broadcast to their reservations.

Reporting on Important Events

Patty became interested in politics while reporting on the 1980 United States presidential election. She also covered big world events, like the Iran hostage crisis. While in college, she worked in public relations. In 1986, she became a public relations manager. Patty later had a son, Nick, who was raised in the Hopi tradition.

Breaking Barriers in News

In 2002, Patty Talahongva made history. She became the first Native American anchor for a national news company, Village America. That same year, she was chosen as president of the Native American Journalists Association. She was re-elected for a second term the next year.

Leading National Native News Programs

By 2005, Patty was the host and managing editor of Native America Calling. This was a national radio show. She also worked as managing editor for National Native News. Patty worked with filmmaker Dustinn Craig on workshops for kids. These workshops helped young Native Americans learn about broadcasting. In 2006, she was recognized for her work on "Native Gay Pride."

Independent Journalism and Documentaries

After leaving Native America Calling in 2007, Patty started her own company. It was called White Spider Communications. She worked as an independent journalist. She wrote news stories for magazines like Native Peoples. She also began producing documentaries.

Covering Major News Stories

Patty has covered many important national news stories. These include the 1992 Los Angeles riots. She also broke the story of the 1993 hantavirus epidemic. She reported on the renaming of Piestewa Peak in 2003. This peak was named for Hopi soldier Lori Piestewa. Patty also covered the opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in 2004. In 2013, she reported on the Yarnell Hill Fire. Many firefighters lost their lives in that fire. She has interviewed many famous people. These include Hillary Clinton and Willie Nelson.

Preserving Native American History

In 2013, Patty became the curator of the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center. This center helps keep the history of the boarding school alive. It also shows how important Native culture is. In 2016, she received a lifetime achievement award for journalism. She also helped create an exhibit called "Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories." This exhibit opened in 2019. That same year, she became an executive producer for Indian Country Today's new national news broadcast.

Community Involvement

Besides her journalism work, Patty Talahongva helps her community. She has served on boards for the Center for Native American Youth. She also helps the Hopi Education Endowment Fund. She has led many projects for students. She has also served on the board of directors for UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc..

Patty Talahongva's Selected Works

Patty Talahongva has produced several important works.

• 2001 Lady Warriors: She was an assistant producer for this documentary. It won awards at the American Indian Film Festival and the Santa Fe Film Festival.
• 2006 The Power of Words: Native Languages as Weapons of War: Patty directed and produced this documentary. It tells the stories of code talkers from different tribes. These include Comanche, Hopi, Meskwaki, and Navajo code talkers. The film is part of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. It is also a traveling exhibit.
• 2011 V-Day 11.11.11: She helped direct this project. It shared the experiences of veterans.
• 2018 “No More ‘Die Bread’: How Boarding Schools Impacted Native Diet and the Resurgence of Indigenous Food Sovereignty”: This was an article she wrote for the Journal of American Indian Education. It discusses how boarding schools affected Native diets. It also talks about the return of traditional Indigenous foods.