In this episode, OAN reporters Juan Ysaguirre and Chris Picciuolo sit down with Ak-Chin Indian Runner newspaper staff members Megan Quintero and Kristen Villegas. They share exciting things happening in their community. 

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Learn more about the Runner’s visit to O’odham Action News:

Ak-Chin Runner Visits O’odham Action News

By Juan Ysaguirre

Staff from O’odham Action News, Gila River Indian News and the Ak-Chin Runner have been discussing plans to enhance collaborations between the four sibling tribes.

During the annual Indigenous Journalists Association conference, this year held in Portland, Oregon, in July, staff members from the three newsrooms began brainstorming various ideas and plans for how the newsrooms can collaborate. 

A fourth O’odham newspaper publication, The Runner, began as the Papago Runner in September 1976 and covered the Tohono O’odham Nation. They changed their name to The Runner in the early 1990s before publishing their final issue on Dec. 17, 2021. As of August 2026, that community doesn’t have a regular newspaper. 

On Aug. 13, staff from the Ak-Chin Runner traveled to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community for a daylong training that included a brief tour of the Two Waters complex, the Council chambers, the Round House Café and the Huhugam Ki: Museum. 

Ak-Chin Runner Editor Raychel Peters; photojournalists Robert Miguel, Megan Quintero and Kristen Villegas; and graphic design artist Eliza Santiago spent the day with OAN staff, learning the inner workings from the department while spending hands-on time with some of the equipment and tools OAN utilizes. 

Later, the Ak-Chin group was treated to lunch from the award-winning The Stand, a first for many from the Ak-Chin team. 

As the Ak-Chin group began to travel back home, Miguel ran into his friend, SRPMIC President Martin Harvier. The two men gave each other hugs and spent a few moments catching up. Miguel served previously as chair of the Ak-Chin Indian Community.

In the coming months, the three media outlets will continue to network and share resources to help create a stronger and more united front when covering O’odham and Piipaash relatives in their respective newspapers.