TULSA, Okla. – The longest running Indian public affairs television program in the United States airs for the last time Sept. 5.
“Inside Native America,” the Native American current events show that airs on CBS affiliate KOTV Channel 6 in Tulsa, was cancelled in the spring.
The show is hosted by Muscogee (Creek) citizen George Tiger, a well-known public figure who has been in the media industry for more than three decades.
“I was told back in March that the networks were asking more time from its affiliates and since basically “Inside Native America was the only show of its kind in the Tulsa market, they made the decision to cancel my show,” Tiger said.
Tiger has been the executive producer and host of “Inside Native America” for the past 28 years.
“It’s opened a lot of doors for me in doing the show,” Tiger said. “I’ve interviewed presidents, sports figures, people in the movie industry… one of the most unique interviews I had was the last living prisoner of war of the United States of America.”
That memorable interview was with Fort Sill Apache citizen Mildred I. Cleghorn, who was at the time the tribe’s chairman.
Tiger said “Inside Native America” helped address the stereotyping of Indians by the general public, of whom he said many still see Indians the way Hollywood portrays them.
“My whole emphasis on serving the role I did for so many years was that I used that show as an educational resource for non-Indians as well as Indian people,” Tiger said.
Tiger said he thinks the show was successful because it had a long-standing reputation for filling a void on public television with a minority-oriented show.
“We had great success with it. I think that’s another reason KOTV kept it on for so long,” he said.  “We had a great following and had success because of the support that Indian communities in not only northeastern Oklahoma gave us, but across the state as well.”
Even though the show was cancelled, Tiger said he understands and that even without “Inside Native America,” a voice will be present for Indian people. Creek Nation employees Gerald Wofford and Jason Salsman host Native News Today, which features the happenings in Indian Country. The 30-minute show is broadcast each week on Tulsa’s CW Network.
“They do a pretty good job with it,” Tiger said.
Tiger also said he and a few other Native journalists have discussed doing a statewide program.
“It’s the old cliché ‘when one door closes another one opens,’ and I think that’s about what we’re looking at,” he said. “That’s something that we’re going to pursue on a statewide basis.”
With new plans on the horizon, Tiger is optimistic about the future of Indian programming on TV, but he’s also sad that “Inside Native America” is over.
“It’s been a great journey,” Tiger said.