Reframing History

What got you interested in photography?
When I was young, maybe age 15, I heard a National Geographic photographer talking about one of her recent assignments where she had been to Tibet. [Tibet is a region of China.]

I was really drawn to her stories of adventure. I thought, “That’s the kind of life I want to have. I want to be able to travel and tell stories and meet people.” 

What made you decide to photograph Native American Tribes?
For far too long, Native American images have been very stereotypical. We’ve been misrepresented in Hollywood. We’ve been misrepresented in textbooks. I wanted to change that stereotype. 

How did you find people to photograph?
Before I went to visit a Tribe, I would post on social media and say, “Does anybody know anybody here?” A lot of times that worked. 

Sometimes I still wouldn’t know anybody when I got to a Tribe. I’d pull up in my RV and put up a sign: “Free fry bread for a photo.” [Fry bread is a Native American flatbread that is fried until crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.] 

People would invite me to their house or have me over for dinner. They’d say, “You should photograph this elder.” Then that elder might say, “You have to photograph my niece.” It went on like that everywhere I went. I would stay as long as I needed to get the shot. 

How did you prepare before a shoot?
I interviewed people until they felt comfortable with me, which usually takes two to three hours. Sometimes it would take two days. I would stick around and do their dishes until we were friends. 

We would talk about identity, race, politics, their life story, and their children. I’d ask them about the things we all go through as human beings and what it means to be a Native person. 

What is the biggest challenge you face in your work?
When people tell you their stories, they often share the difficult things that they have been through, including violence and forced assimilation. [This is when people are made to adopt the beliefs, values, and behaviors of the majority—in this case, the non-Indigenous population.]

It was hard for me to hear those stories and to process my own anger about the Western structures causing those problems. 

Why is photojournalism important?
Seeing is believing. A photograph can open a door for our imaginations to believe in something we haven’t previously been able to believe in.

So many social movements have happened because of photojournalism. Photos end wars. Photos drive compassion to support nonprofits that help people who are hungry or starving. Photos can shape the course of history.

How does your work help people understand society? 
Everywhere in this country, there are sad stories about how Native Americans lost their land and identity. There’s also a tremendous amount of inspiring stories in Indian Country, stories of profound resilience and cultural resurrection. I hope that my work can help teach Native American values and the real history of our country. I hope it will inspire people to ask questions like: How can we be in better relationships with our Indigenous relatives? How can we take better care of the land? There is so much to learn from our Native American communities.

How do you share your work?
To promote Project 562, I’ve been to more than 200 schools. I’ve given away more than 15,000 books. I’m teaching educators how to use this book and overcome stereotypes in their classrooms. 

What do you like most about your job?
I like the adventure of it. I want to be out in the world seeing new things. I want to be under the stars, listening to coyotes, eating traditional foods. There are so many great epic journeys left. And that’s really why I’m a journalist. 

What advice do you have for kids and teens interested in photojournalism?
Well, I hope they do it. We need storytellers. We need people to speak truth to power. So I would say: Tell stories, tell honest stories. Whatever you want to do, whoever you want to be, you can do it.