MVSKOKE RESERVATION – In March 2025, Mvskoke Media hosted nine students from the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas. The student reporters conducted week-long field reporting projects with a focus on the history, culture, and people of the Mvskoke Nation. Their efforts on the reservation produced “Muscogee Voices,” a project showcasing their original written and visual reporting. Mvskoke Media will be republishing their work in print in a series beginning with the August 1 edition of Mvskoke News. The full scope of projects, including project videos, are published on their website Muscogeevoices.com. To view the individual projects we will be printing, we’ve linked to the individual reporters and their stories below.
Dana Tiger: Beauty Flows by Riley Morris
Riley Morris is a student in the Department of Media Arts with a minor in photography. They want to pursue broadcasting through producing or video editing when they graduate in December 2025. They have worked with North Texas Television in many capacities and currently intern at the Dallas Cowboys in their event presentation department. To get in touch with them, you can email them at kaitlynmorris101@gmail.com.
Muscogee Artist Paints Reality of the Muscogee People by Elena Andra Stoica
Elena Andra Stoica is a multimedia journalist currently based in the DFW area in Texas, who has recently graduated with her Journalism Masters from University of North Texas. Elena’s journalism experience ranges from interning with CNN international in the United Arab Emirates and managing live broadcast traffic and guest booking to copywriting and videography. She is currently looking for multimedia job opportunities across either broadcast or digital news outlets. To get in touch with her you can email: elena.andra.stoica@gmail.com.
Forget the Stereotypes by Ty Scott
Ty Scott is a student in the Mayborn School of Journalism at UNT. He grew up in the DFW metroplex and being surrounded by so many different peoples and culture, he wanted to tell their stories. He says he always ends up knowing more than when he came in.
History Comes Alive in Mvskoke Council House by Emma Walls
Emma Walls is a Mayborn School of Journalism student majoring in print and digital media with a minor in criminal justice. She works as a copyeditor for the North Texas Daily and hopes to become an investigative journalist after she graduates in 2027.
Muscogee Musicians Preserve Indigenous Language Through Hymns by Diego Hernandez
Diego Hernandez is a student journalist at the University of North Texas, where he studies in the Mayborn School of Journalism. He covers local music with a focus on Denton’s alternative and DIY scenes and is the Digital Editor for the North Texas Daily and a freelance writer for the Dallas Observer. He hopes to pursue a career in music journalism and alternative music broadcasting, with plans to attend law school at the University of Texas at Austin in 2026. Diego can be reached at diegohernandez8j@gmail.com.
”We All Rodeo”: A Family Legacy by Lauren Sicking
Lauren (Sicking) Pruett grew up in the North Texas area, surrounded by stories. She decided to pursue journalism because she wanted to give a voice to the voiceless to bring wholeness and dignity to who and what she writes about. She is set to graduate from the Mayborn School of Journalism with her bachelor’s degree in Fall 2026. You can contact her directly by emailing her at laurenpruett2025@gmail.com.
“The language is everything” – Mvskoke Language Instructor Works to Preserve Endangered Language, One Student at a Time by McKinnon Rice
McKinnon Rice is a graduate of the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, where she received bachelor’s degrees in journalism and international studies and completed a minor in Arabic. Rice worked for nine semesters at UNT’s editorially independent student newspaper, the North Texas Daily, and held the role of editor-in-chief during the fall 2024 semester. She currently is a reporting fellow at Fort Worth Report.
Reintegration On, Off the Reservation Spurs Hope, Challenges for Native Communities By Tabitha Hidalgo
Tabitha Hidalgo grew up in South Texas and is a student at the Mayborn School of Journalism. She currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the North Texas Daily and is an intern at KERA. Tabitha is set to graduate in May 2026 and is ready to amplify underrepresented voices.
Rooted in Tradition: The Story of Big Cussetah’s Wild Onion Dinner by Cynthia Mendoza
Cynthia Mendoza Aguilar is a student in the Mayborn School of Journalism majoring in broadcast journalism. She is a first-generation Mexican American who wants to use her voice as a journalist to amplify that of her community and others who are underrepresented. She has worked for UNT’s NTTV and plans to seek an anchor/reporter job when she graduates in 2026.
