#NoDAPL

These folks asked me to take their photo and send a tweet about it, so I did:

Maybe it made a difference.

Eagle & Bear (Muscogee Creek Nation, Okmulgee, Oklahoma)

I'm spending the week in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. My focus has been making a video for Tribal Access to Justice Innovation about the Muscogee (Creek) Reintegration Program, which is doing wonderful work helping ex-prisoners transition from incarceration to lives in the community.

The U.S. government forcibly removed the Muscogee Nation (as part of the horrific Trail of Tears) from their ancestral lands (what today is Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina). The Muscogee (who were called Creek by the European invaders) built their Council House in 1878 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma where it still stands today.

A Day at Summer Camp (Puyallup, Washington)

I directed and edited this video about a very cool program created and run by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. I had a lot of help putting it together. My colleagues at the Center for Court Innovation, especially Adelle Fontanet and Leah Russell, played invaluable roles as co-producers, and the team that runs the Tribal Justice Exchange provided crucial advice and feedback. The video features the natural wonders of the Puyallup community's tribal land as well as the talents of cinematographer Juan Carlos Borrero. Composer and musician Dawn Avery scored and performed the fantastic soundtrack. But at the heart of the video are the folks who created the amazing GREAT Camp, both staff and students. They welcomed us into their lives and moved us with their stories. For their kindness, honesty and friendship, I will be forever grateful.

Below is a photo of Juan Carlos, me and Adelle interviewing a group of counselors during last summer's shoot .

Where School and Native American Pride Meet (Puyallup, Washington)

I had the privilege of traveling to Puyallup, Washington, with Juan Carlos Borrero (holding the camera) and two colleagues to direct a video about a wonderful summer camp for kids from Chief Leschi High School. We knew from the moment we arrived that this is a different kind of school and a different kind of community. The magnificent totem pole is clue that the student body is largely Native American--specifically 98% Indian, representing more than 60 tribes and bands from throughout the United States.