Some cute, cool, powerful moments from the last year spent with some beautiful people. Picking 20 slides was hard because so much happened. But I can post more whenever I want, so… But behind all these images are stories that I’ll keep close.
From K-pop concert (both a year apart), to the annual pilgrimage (hehe) to the Sundance film festival, to filming history unfolding in real time, to summer hikes with friends, to content shoots and live experiences with good people, to gym visits (been failing at my fitness goals but we’ll get back), to meeting and hanging out with my nephew (I’m officially an uncle). It’s been a year. And this is only a fraction of it all.
Like I shared in my recent post, this year of my life has been full of so many good and powerful moments, but also many hard days. Days where I cried, felt hopeless and lonely, mourning the loss of people and the unwelcome changes that forced me to let go when I wasn’t ready. It’s been a year of reflecting deeply on what I want out of life. And seeking out clarity for my next chapter.
It was the relationships that kept me steady. A circle of good people who could lean on one another as the world felt bleak and uninviting. It was these relationships that made me realize the power that lies within the collective. No matter what happens, when your circle is strong, you can withstand anything.
To all the people who reached out on my birthday, who commented and sent birthday shoutouts in the group chats, to the individual text messages, man my heart is full. Thank you.
Here’s to showing up hard for another year of life.
📸 1 & 3 by @stephviera_
📸 6 by C C
📸 8 by Nick T.
A couple of weeks ago I spent some time in the Adirondacks in upstate New York for my first artist residency, shoutout @jadethemighty for thinking of me and making the connection. It was a magical time that I absolutely needed. Very few words can express my gratitude for this space. To share it with incredible Native artists and storytellers doing beautiful and inspiring work, relit a fire that was smothering in me.
It often feels lonely as an Indigenous person whose career is art-based; couple that with these fucking insane times we are in right now, this residency with this collective of artists felt necessary.
This time also called me in to check-in on myself. I spend so much of my time on others, whether it’s caretaking, working long hours, trying to make ends meet, keeping other fires lit, that I end up feeling so distant from myself. Meaning those deep ambitious dreams suddenly feel out of reach. Like I’ve forgotten how to get to them.
But it’s opportunities like this residency that help me call them back. Reminds me that I’m on the right path. That I actually didn’t lose my way. That everything up until now has set me in the direction I must go. It’s a beautiful thing to know this.
Gratitude to @rebeccanagle and @yatikafields for planning and gathering this group of amazing people. Thank you to @bluemountaincenter for taking care of us so that we could just be. I’ll carry this time for a long while and look forward to continuing to connect and build relationship with everyone I met in this space. Until next time.
just life long friends getting out of the group chat and on to the land. bc why not.
note to self, i’m pretty good at keeping my shoes dry. take that random-hike-lady who told me to give up trying 😠
this was kinda fun to make. maybe i’ll do more, i guess?
also, protect this land. protect the Black Hills from lame ass mining. link in bio.
This last year has been full of good people. Thank you all for sharing it with me.
Looking back also made me realize I need to take more photos with people.
Birthday reflections. Ok, let me preface by saying — how come I can’t do 20 slides?? Originally I wanted to post as many photos as I could in one go from the last year of my life. I could’ve did a collage graphic, but wasn’t in the mood to do all that.
So here are 10 slides, mostly of me, from the past 12 months. I rarely post selfies. Not sure why. Maybe I’ve been too self-conscious, or rather just preferred not to. But I know social media is a place to show off your life. Curate the best parts. But damn it has been a year.
I did a cute blog about it on my site. Click the link in my bio to read it, if you’d like. No worries if you don’t. I’m grateful you’re here.
I’m looking forward to this new year of life. For whatever it brings, I know there’s so much worth fighting for and so much love to experience. I have gratitude for all that I have been able to accomplish. It wasn’t done alone. So many caring hands have held me close. That’s what stood out the most this year, the people in my life. I may not be living my rich boy life, but I am so full of abundance.
The #WARPONY love from the Native community, especially back home on the Rez, has been real fam. Feeling full. Being Certified Fresh by Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 is cool too.
We’re still playing in theaters. But if it’s not playing near you, you can buy or rent the film on Apple/iTunes, Amazon Prime and other digital video shops!
📽️ Elks Theatre - Rapid City, SD
📽️ Nunpa Theater - Kyle SD
📽️ Laemmle Monica - Santa Monica, CA
📽️ Angelika - New York, NY
📽️ Cinema 14 Chatham - Chicago, IL
📽️ B&B Theatres Shawnee - Kansas City, KS
📽️ Varsity - Seattle, WA
📽️ Apple Cinemas - Boston, MA
📽️ Harkins Northfield - Denver, CO
📽️ Harkins Shea - Phoenix, AZ
📽️ Lake Creek 7 - Austin, TX
📽️ LOOK Dine-in Cinemas Dallas - Dallas, TX
📽️ St. Michael Cinema - Minneapolis, MN
📽️ Zeitgeist - New Orleans, LA
#nativefilm #indiefilm
Fam #WARPONY is out now! In theaters and on demand⚡️⚡️⚡️it’s been a labor of love.
Watch the film at these theaters, one week only:
📽️ Elks Theatre - Rapid City, SD
📽️ Nunpa Theater - Kyle SD
📽️ Laemmle Monica - Santa Monica, CA
📽️ Angelika - New York, NY
📽️ Cinema 14 Chatham - Chicago, IL
📽️ B&B Theatres Shawnee - Kansas City, KS
📽️ Varsity - Seattle, WA
📽️ Apple Cinemas - Boston, MA
📽️ Harkins Northfield - Denver, CO
📽️ Harkins Shea - Phoenix, AZ
📽️ Lake Creek 7 - Austin, TX
📽️ LOOK Dine-in Cinemas Dallas - Dallas, TX
📽️ St. Michael Cinema - Minneapolis, MN
📽️ Zeitgeist - New Orleans, LA
#nativefilm #indiefilm
