StoryKeepers

Preserving stories. Building skills. Strengthening Native futures.

StoryKeepers is a Crosswinds News program that helps community members document, develop and share stories rooted in Native experience, history, culture and community knowledge.

Through guided workshops, mentorship and editorial support, participants learn how to shape personal, family and community stories into publishable work while honoring the voices, memories and responsibilities carried in each story.

About the Program

StoryKeepers was created to support community storytellers as they uplift community voices and build confidence in their writing.

Participants receive support through writing sessions, story development, editing and publication opportunities with Crosswinds News.

What Participants Receive

• Guided writing and storytelling support
• Editorial feedback from the Crosswinds News team
• Opportunities to preserve family, cultural and community stories
• A pathway to publication
• A participant stipend, when funding allows

Crosswinds News Invites Community Members to Apply for StoryKeepers Training Program

(TVLSE, Okla.) Crosswinds News is inviting community members across northeast Oklahoma to apply for StoryKeepers, a training program that supports Native-focused reporting through self-paced learning, hands-on practice, and editorial mentorship. Building off of the Citizen Journalism Pilot Program created in 2023, StoryKeepers will offer paid training and

CrosswindsRachael Schuit

Cohort One: Native and Ally StoryKeepers

Community members from across Northeast Oklahoma

Program timeline: March–June 2026
Format: Guided online learning and in-the-field training
Final outcome: Stories published on Crosswinds News

Meet Cohort One - Coming Soon!

COHORT ONE STORIES:

The Wait for Justice: A Muscogee Life Stolen by Fentanyl

By Whitney A. Pingleton (CATOOSA, Okla.) Fentanyl overdoses remain one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, synthetic opioids other than methadone (primarily fentanyl) were involved in 72,776 overdose deaths nationwide in 2023. The CDC also

CrosswindsCrosswinds News Team

Cohort Two: Youth STEM StoryKeepers

Our next StoryKeepers cohort will be youth-focused and STEM-focused in partnership with Green Country AISES.

This cohort will help Native youth explore the connections between storytelling, science, technology, culture and community. Participants will learn journalism and multimedia storytelling skills while developing stories that highlight Native futures, innovation and knowledge.

Program timeline: September–November 2026
Format: Guided in-person learning and in-the-field training
Final outcome: Youth-created multimedia projects

Why StoryKeepers Matters

Native communities have always carried knowledge through story. StoryKeepers builds on that tradition by giving participants tools, support and a platform to tell stories in their own voices.

This program is about more than writing. It is about memory, representation, healing, skill-building and making sure important stories are not lost.

Interested in joining a future StoryKeepers cohort?

Email us at admin@crosswindsnews.net