Clahchischiligi elected to first term as president; Ellis elected vice president
The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) held elections for the board of directors Aug. 1-14.
Angel Moore (Peguis First Nation) was re-elected while Eden Fineday (Sweetgrass First Nation) and Bryan Pollard (Cherokee Nation) were elected to new three-year terms from 2025-2028.
Jourdan Bennett-Begaye (Diné), Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi (Diné), Angel Ellis (Muscogee Nation), Joseph Lee (Aquinnah Wampanoag), Alyssa London (Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribe) and Roselynn Yazzie (Shoshone-Bannock / Diné) will remain seated for the duration of their terms.
The IJA Board of Directors elected the 2025-2026 executive committee during the Aug. 15 meeting following the IMC25 Media Awards Banquet. Officers were elected to the following positions:
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- Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi (Diné), president
- Angel Ellis (Muscogee Nation), vice president
- Joseph Lee (Aquinnah Wampanoag), treasurer
- Roselynn Yazzie (Shoshone-Bannock / Diné), secretary
Clahchischiligi is Diné from Tiis’ NásBąs, Arizona and the Indigenous Affairs editor at High Country News. Her work has won numerous honors, including the Doris O’Donnell Innovations in Investigative Journalism Fellowship from the Center for Media Innovations at Point Park University. In 2022 she was inducted into the inaugural class of the North American Indigenous Hall of Fame for sports writing. She also teaches at Arizona State University. In 2023 Clahchischiligi earned a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing from the University of New Mexico.
“I am incredibly honored and overjoyed to serve as IJA president,” said Clahchischiligi. “We look forward to continuing the work of those who came before us and to advancing the organization and supporting Native journalists everywhere.”
Election results will be recorded during the next board meeting Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. CST.
IJA congratulates the newly-seated board and executive committee. For more information on how to join IJA as a member, visit indigenousjournalists.org.
