Darren Thompson is an award winning multi-media journalist and traditional Native American flute player enrolled at the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Reservation in Northern Wisconsin, where he grew up. He covers breaking news, missing and murdered Indigenous people, environmental and social justice, tribal sovereignty, art, music, and film. He can be reached through his website, www.darrenthompson.net. 

Aaron Foley is a longtime editor and writer originally from Detroit. He has worked at the PBS NewsHour, the New York Amsterdam News, and more. He is an also an author of fiction and nonfiction, and has had work appear in This American Life, CNN, Columbia Journalism Review, and more. Email him at aaron[@]frybread.org

Aminah Syed is a journalism and political science student at the University of Kansas and a Fry Bread Creative Digital Storytelling Intern in the Spring 2026. Aminah enjoys writing about other people and giving others a platform to share themselves. In her free time she enjoys drawing, painting, photography and video games. Email her at aminah[@]frybread.org.

Valerie Vande Panne is a descendent (unenrolled) of multiple Southwestern tribes and a media veteran. She is the founder, publisher, and editor of Fry Bread. Email her at valerie[@]frybread.org.

Fry Bread Alum

Talia Sehongva is a Hopi educator and storyteller passionate about K–12 education, Indigenous youth, and community care. She creates work that uplifts Native joy, identity, and connection. Talia is currently pursuing her M.A. in Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is Fry Bread’s Creative Digital Storytelling Intern.

Emma Saville was Fry Bread’s Creative Digital Storytelling Intern in the Spring of 2025. She is a graduate with a degree in Multimedia Journalism and Digital Marketing Communications from the University of Kansas. Emma loves to share stories and build connections with those she interacts with. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, embroidery and hanging out with friends.