Meet the GRIN’s newest Community Newsperson

February 5, 2016

Thomas R. Throssell

Community Newsperson

The Gila River Indian News has been covering the Community for decades and during that time the newspaper has undergone many changes, from being published once a month to its current manifestation as a multi-media community news outlet that produces a bi-monthly printed newspaper, online social media, and local broadcasting content.

And that’s where I come in to tell you a little about myself as the new Community Newsperson for the GRIN.

My name is Thomas R. Throssell and while I may be new to the Gila River Indian Community, I am not unfamiliar with the O’odham people or their culture.

In fact, I am a registered member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. My family comes from the San Miguel Village area located in Chukut Kuk District and I have spent the past three years as the Tohono O’odham Runner newspaper’s associate editor and contributed to that publication for almost a decade.

Now that I am joining the GRIN team, I am looking forward to learning about the Akimel O’otham people, their stories, and local traditions.

And while joining a new community with different traditions and customs is a delicate and tactful process, it is not the first time I have been the new guy in a different community.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, I lived and worked in Tokyo, Japan for four years, teaching English at a public junior high school. During those four years I learned a lot about the Japanese culture, language, and way of life, which helped instill in me the value of tradition, language, and the importance of one’s own culture in leading a fulfilling life.

These experiences have helped me navigate through the complex maze of life and will assist me in properly fulfilling my role as a community newsperson for the Gila River Indian Community.

If you are interested in a story please call (520) 562-9852 or email Thomas.Throssell@gric.nsn.us