Through Indigenous Eyes

Follow the West Shore Canoe Family as they paddle through their ancestral waters. Learn the integral role that song plays in Coast Salish Culture and how Tribal Journeys are healing and restorative in Coast Salish communities.

One of the Lakota Nation’s most sacred places is Mato Paha, now part of Bear Butte State Park. The people’s access to Bear Butte was severed in the late 19th century, when the U.S. government seized the Black Hills and broke up the Great Sioux Reservation. In 2024, the nonprofit Cheyenne River Youth Project took a major step toward restoring that access when it purchased a nearly 40-acre tract of land adjacent to Bear Butte, which it calls Wakanyeja Kin Wana Ku Pi (The Children Are Coming Home).

Three young Indigenous women must contest with a power beyond their own worst nightmares, in this fictional depiction of a traditional Ute legend. Lisha, Lyric, and Riley are three young Native Ute teens who must heed the warnings of their elders or face the deadly consequences.

Two Native Hawaiians living in the Pacific Northwest reflect on how Aloha sustains them amidst distance, loss, and longing. Meanwhile, back in Hawaii, local residents grapple with the legacy of colonization that has resulted in many Hawaiians being displaced from their homeland.

Maria and Benedicto are two extraordinary individuals whose determination, resilience, and dedication have turned adversity into opportunity. Their Eco Spanish School, once a humble dream, has blossomed into a thriving success story, giving back to their community of San Juan La Laguna.

Devin Reuben is training to be the first certified nimiipuu whitewater guide of his generation. The nimiipuu (Nez Perce) have a long history of river travel–in fact, they introduced the practice to settlers–but centuries of displacement and disconnection means Tribal members are now largely absent from their ancestral rivers. Devin says, “it’s one big step for us: not just me, all of us. We’re slowly bringing our culture back.”