Publisher’s daughter leads Indian magazine

By Jomay Steen, Journal Staff Writer | Friday, August 04, 2006

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RAPID CITY — A new editor of Native American Review Magazine, formerly Indian Education Today, replaces Tim Giago, who retired this week as editor and publisher of the American Indian magazine.

The 39-year-old art director of Native American Review Magazine, Denise Giago, has followed her father’s footsteps into journalism and now begins her duties as editor. She has been working at the magazine since it first published in October.

“This is fairly new to me, but my dad will only be a phone call or e-mail away,” she said.

Publisher Christy Tibbitts, 33, sales manager Jackie Jordan and Collette Keith, managing editor, will join the new editor on staff of the nearly year-old publication.

Tim Giago, 72, an Oglala Sioux Tribe member, recently announced his retirement as president of Native American Journalists Foundations, and publisher of Native American Review Magazine. He underwent open-heart surgery last year and has been recovering since then.

“After more than 35 years in the newspaper business, I think it is time to put away my beat-up typewriter and move on to other endeavors,” Giago said.

After he has moved into his Albuquerque, N.M., residence, Giago will begin promoting his new book “Children Left Behind,” published by Clear Ligh Books of Santa Fe, N.M. He plans to attend a book signing on Aug. 18 at the Santa Fe Indian Market and Festival.

A syndicated national columnist for more than 25 years, he said he will continue to write a weekly column for McClatchy News Service of Washington, D.C., formerly Knight Ridder Tribune News. He said he would also continue to recruit high school and college Indian students into journalism careers.

The Indian publication pioneer began his career with the Lakota Times weekly newspaper on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1981. He built it into the largest weekly newspaper in South Dakota and the largest independently owned Indian newspaper in the nation.

He later changed the name of the paper to Indian Country Today, which is still published each week by the Oneida Nation of New York.

In 1990, Giago was awarded the prestigious Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University, only the second South Dakota journalist honored with the fellowship. He received the H.L. Mencken Award from the Baltimore Sun, the Distinguished Journalism Award from School of Journalism at the University of Missouri and many newspaper awards in his 30-year career in journalism. He was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1994.

“I hope to have more time to devote to my weekly column and to continue my work on another book,” Giago said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.