The continued opportunity to walk amongst the Oceti Sakowin, meaning Seven Council Fires and known to some as the Sioux Nation, was only made possible because of my work with them for the feature documentary film, Women Of The White Buffalo, that began in 2018 and was released in April 2022.

I received a master class in human understanding when I listened to their stories and witnessed their tears falling from their eyes for all they continue to endure as Indigenous peoples here in America. One of the words that stands out to me from the Lakota language, a language that evolves every day, is Wasi’chu or Wašícu which translates as “takes the fat” or “takes the best parts for himself". It is a word that describes the human condition based on racism, inhumanity, greed and exploitation. An ancient word whose meaning continues to plague their lives today. For this series I chose to capture the essence of the people with their connection to the winged ones, the four legged and Mother Earth, as this is the true nature of who we are.

We are all Indigenous.

Six years ago, I made a conscious decision to take a chance on myself. I felt called to express myself through a new medium, inspired to expand the experience of our culture in a different way; to embark on a journey filled with a level of depth that only art can evoke. As a first step of commitment, I turned to my camera. The very camera I hold today was the first camera I picked up just six years ago, serving as a tool that brought me right to the center of my being. Imagery makes us feel beyond what words can articulate, and I knew I was forever changed by a perspective seen through my lens.

To me, the gift of holding a camera brings presence and stillness, the promise of creativity as we step into the unknown. It keeps us exactly where we are, in that very moment, bringing us closer to what truly matters through compassion and connection. It connects us to something outside of ourselves. My hope is that these images bring us back to nature. We protect that which we love, so we surely need to find a way to fall in love with nature.