The Southern Ute Drum newspaper staff attended the 2018 National Native Media Awards, hosted by the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) Thursday, July 19 — Saturday, July 21, in Miami. The annual conference and journalism seminar was held in association with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). The Drum staff brought home two awards: First Place for Best News Photo, ‘Ignacio is Aztec Strong,’ by Public Relations Coordinator Trennie Collins and Third Place for Best Environmental Coverage, ‘Autumn colors blanket the Southern Ute Reservation,’ by Editor/Media Manager Jeremy Wade Shockley.