Native Media and Technology Network and Fox Entertainment Create New Opportunities for Native Americans in Media and Entertainment Industry

(Los Angeles, CA) Today, The Native Media and Technology Network (NMTN - "N-Mountain") and Fox Entertainment Group announced an innovative local partnership to help increase Native American access and participation in the media and entertainment industry. The grassroots initiative will begin among Fox-owned local television stations and regional sports networks, beginning with Fox operations in Minnesota and expanding to Arizona, Washington State and Florida where there are significant Native American populations and NMTN is most active.

Fox Television Stations is America's largest local television station group with 35 stations in 22 of America's largest cities, and Fox Networks Group is the largest operator of regional television networks with 14 regional sports networks serving 39 of America's 50 largest cities. The stations and regional sports networks expected to be involved will begin with KMSP-FOX9, WFTC-Ch. 29 and FSN North in Minneapolis, followed by KSAZ-FOX10, KUTP-Ch. 45 and FSN Arizona in Phoenix; FSN Northwest in Seattle; and Florida's WOGX-FOX51, WTVT-FOX13, WOFL-FOX35, WRBW-Ch. 65, FSN Florida and Sun Sports. Working together, these local operations and NMTN will help to develop employment training, vendor-supplier relationships and other strategic opportunities, benefiting both partners.

"Native American culture is inseparable from a rich tradition of story-telling, and so it's important to us that Native Americans become more deeply involved in the business of media and entertainment," says Mitsy Wilson, Senior Vice President of Diversity Development for Fox Entertainment Group. "We welcome this opportunity to work with all 55 of the major Native American tribes that NMTN represents and we hope to expand this new program to other companies throughout our organization."

Created in 2000 with early assistance from the Center for Community Change (CCC), a Washington, DC based national non-profit group dedicated to low-income community organizing and empowerment, the NMTN network aims to provide skills development and access to jobs and mentoring for Native young people; business opportunities for Native companies and organizations; lay the groundwork for establishing Native media companies; and improve the portrayal of Native people by the media.

Today, NMTN is a vibrant partnership between CCC, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), ATNI Economic Development Corporation, BannerCaswell Productions, Eyapaha Institute, Koahnic Broadcasting Corp., Migizi Communications, National American Indian Development Corporation, Native American Public Telecommunications, the Native Networking Policy Center, the Oneida Tribes of New York, Red Crow Creations, Sound of America Records, RCL & Associates, and the Southern California Indian Center/ Intertribal Entertainment. In all, 55 tribes participate in NMTN.

"We are, hopefully, an emerging movement committed to getting the Indian story out into the mainstream, commercial realm where there are more jobs and business opportunities," said Syd Beane, Native American team leader at the Center for Community Change.

"The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians understands that media and telecommunications are crucial industries for job growth and business opportunities for Native peoples. That is why we are fully committed to the organizing of the Native Media and Technology Network," said Lyn Dennis, executive director of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.

Tribal leadership around the nation views NMTN as an essential element in strengthening the Native community's power, unity, and ability to survive in the 21st century. The Native concept of 'sovereignty' has traditionally been played out on solid earth through numerous struggles to retain land rights. Looking forward, sovereignty must extend to the new frontier of communications and media technologies.

Renowned actor and activist Floyd Red Crow Westerman said, "It is important that Indian people speak for themselves through the media. We have much to say and we have waited a long time."

Fox Entertainment Group began working with NMTN in 2000 when it launched the American Indian Summer Program. This one-week residential program brings up to 20 American Indian youth between the ages of 18 and 25 to Los Angeles for tutorials and experiential learning opportunities in the business aspects of the media and entertainment industry as well as in creative production. Now five years old, the Summer Institute becomes one component of a vastly expanded business partnership between NMTN and Fox.

During today's event, the new NMTN Advisory Board was announced. Advisory Board members include: Gerald Alcantar, VP, Fox Entertainment Group Diversity Development Department; Actor/Musician Floyd Red Crow Westerman (Sisseton - Wahpeton Sioux); Phylis Eagle - (Oldson), President & CEO, Emma Bowen Foundation; Ed Wilson, President, Fox Television Network; Michael Merchand - (Colville), 1st Vice President, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians; Hattie Kauffman - (Nez Perce) National News Correspondent, CBS News, The Early Show; Adam Leipzig, President, National Geographic Feature Films; Robbie Robertson - (Mohawk) Musician, The Village; David Harding, Executive Producer, Creative Differences Productions; Peter Golia, VP of Communications, Oneida Indian Nation; Steve G. Saltman, VP of Network and New Media, First Look Studios; Magdalena Beltran Del Olmo, VP of Communications, The California Wellness Foundation.