About
I am an Indigenous multimedia documentarian born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. To date, I have spoken at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, UCLA, California State Polytechnic University, Pitzer College, Cal Arts, UC-San Diego, UC-Riverside, UC-Irvine, Occidental College, Northwestern University and University of Oregon.
My work presents personal stories of contemporary urban Indians in photography and film to commemorate the legacy of the Indian Relocation program, a U.S. federal program enacted to assimilate American Indians in the 1950s.
My overall mission is to combat the idea of the static, stereotypical Indian portrayed so pervasively in all media. I want people to know that Indians are many nations with many stories. My photography portraits stand against prevalent stereotypes of American Indians in popular culture. Having grown up on a tribal reservation in Arizona my experience of Indian life was not reflected in popular culture. My work is to produce authentic portraits and stories of the persistence of Indian life in contemporary contexts. As a storyteller, I develops photographic narratives that illustrate the real stories of American Indians within their communities.
My multimedia work reflects the perseverance of American Indian cultural identities today. I wish to produce living portraits of American Indians reflected through an indigenous aesthetic lens. I work as a talent consultant for various television networks. I have professionally produced five award winning films for the Southern California Indian Center’s InterTribal Entertainment multimedia program, co-created film workshops for Native youth, produced PSA’s for Fox Studio’s American Indian Summer Institute program, and co-hosted “Bringing the Circle Together,” a monthly showcase of Indigenous documentaries at the Japanese American National Museum National Center for Preservation of Democracy Tateuchi Forum in Los Angeles.
Received a BA in American Indian Studies and Film Television from UCLA.