Meet Our Reporters

Cheyenne McNeill

Cheyenne McNeill is a regional reporter at EducationNC, a journalism nonprofit. Born and raised in southeastern North Carolina, Cheyenne attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she majored in broadcast and electronic journalism. Cheyenne is a member of the Coharie Tribe in Clinton, N.C. She’s most interested in sharing stories from rural and tribal communities. Cheyenne is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In her spare time, Cheyenne enjoys thrift shopping and reading. 

Carrying on a tradition of storytelling

I always say that I learned my love of storytelling from my grandmother. When someone asks why I like reporting – that’s my immediate answer. I remember riding in the car or sitting on the front porch and begging my grandmother to tell me more stories. I’d ask her to...

Claire Neel

Claire Neel, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, is a junior at the Institute of American Indian Arts, where she is focused on Indigenous storytelling. She also serves as the editor in chief of The Jackalope, a student zine. She has covered human rights and has a strong interest in reporting on environmental issues. Claire is also an inaugural fellow with NationSwell, a social justice organization. In addition to storytelling, Claire enjoys taking her dog for walks and knitting sweaters for her nephews.

Reflecting on Reporting: Claire Neel in the Zoom Newsroom

Being online made the beginning of this project feel fairly abstract. It didn’t hit me until about Wednesday that I was working as a journalist and that my piece would be published by NPR. I thought about going back in time to my middle school self, who listened...

Arielle Farve Deer

Chickasaw citizen Arielle Farve Deer manages the Chickasaw Nation’s AYA Walk app, which explores creative strategies to preserve and share Chickasaw language, culture and history. Her written and videography work has been published in the Chickasaw Times, The Oklahoman and Legacy Magazine. In 2018, Arielle produced a documentary exposing the mining practices that environmentally devastated Quapaw Nation after WWII. She earned a master’s degree in mass communications at Oklahoma State University and was a fellow with the Native American Journalism Association in 2019. Through her advocacy for American Indian nations, citizens and communities, Deer knows storytelling has the emotive force to drive social change. 

Enriching Skills and Relationships

  Next Generation Radio Indigenous has had a profound impact on me. I will carry the professional skills I’ve developed this week throughout my career and cherish the relationships I’ve cultivated for a lifetime.   It was an adventure enhancing my audio...

Braden Harper

Braden Harper is a passionate storyteller. For as long as he can remember, it has always played a significant role in his life. When he saw the power of telling a story and sharing it with others, he knew this is what he wanted to do as a career. He refined his storytelling skills in undergraduate studies at Rogers State University and later graduate studies at Oklahoma State University. Braden has produced stories across many different media platforms, including public television, local broadcast news, YouTube, and tribal journalism. Braden enjoys entertainment reporting and personal features. He currently works as a reporter for the Muscogee Creek Nation’s news department, Mvskoke Media. Braden believes that now more than ever, Indigenous coverage is important due to the issues Indigenous people face today. 

Forged through the fire

  These past couple weeks working in NPR’s Next Generation Radio Program has been quite a journey to say the least. It is fair to say that I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I applied for the program, however I am extremely thankful I did. Next...

Carrie Johnson

Carrie Johnson is studying English and media studies at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and plans to pursue a career in journalism. Carrie was a fellow with the Native American Journalists Association in 2022. Currently, she is an intern for Chickasaw Press, an intern with Austin College’s Institutional Marketing and Communications and a staff writer for the AC Observer, the student paper. She’s also a fellow in the Posey Leadership Institute, a freelance sports writer for the Sherman Herald Democrat and a published poet in Suspension Literary Magazine. Carrie has played college basketball and now plays college softball and is a wannabe baker who burns everything. Newly passionate for her Chickasaw and Pawnee culture, Carrie is hungry to immerse herself in opportunities for Indigenous coverage and journalism in general.

Culture, Community and Carrie’s Core

  Among other things, the most important thing I learned this week that I would rank higher is how important a community is: the inspiration pulled from shared stories, the technical skills showcased and the overall collaboration that results in something...