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 Tracy Rector, Executive Director, Seminole is currently earning her Masters in Education and Teacher Certification from Antioch University’s First Peoples Program. She specializes in Native American Studies, traditional plant medicine and documentary film. As the Co-Producer of the award winning films Teachings of the Tree People and Teachings of the Tree People: The Work of Bruce Miller, Tracy has developed an awareness and sensitivity to the power of media and film as a modern storytelling tool. Her work has been featured at National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project and at the Smithsonian’s Museum of the American Indian. As a Native Education specialist Tracy offers unique insight to her projects. Her vision is to bring traditional and contemporary education together in a foundation based in environmental stewardship, utilizing film and nature as a pathway for learning. Tracy’s involvement in the Pacific Northwest Native American community includes experience as a community advocate, indigenous garden designer and curriculum developer. In conjunction with the Seattle Art Museum, the Northwest Folklife Council has recognized her “Teachings of the Tree People” curriculum as the “Gold Standard” model. She is currently working with the museum as a consultant and Native Naturalist for the Olympic Sculpture Park and in planning for the new expanded Native American wing of the Seattle Art Museum and traveling Coast Salish Exhibit. Tracy is also currently developing curriculum for IslandWood, an environmental education center. She is the Co-founder of Longhouse Media/Native Lens and a proud mother of two boys.
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Annie Silverstein, Artistic Director, has been working in the field of youth media for the past eight years. While majoring in history and receiving a BA from Macalester College, Annie worked at Phillips Community Television as the program coordinator of Our Turn, a monthly television show produced by youth about issues affecting them and the Phillips community. She moved to |
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 Sherman Alexie a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian, who grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, WA, is an author, poet, and filmmaker. His first collection of short stories, “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” was published by Atlantic Monthly Press in 1993. For this collection he received a PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Book of Fiction, and was awarded a Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writers' Award. Sherman also won the Murray Morgan Prize for his first novel, Reservation Blues, published in 1995 by Atlantic Monthly Press. His second novel, Indian Killer, published in 1996, also by Atlantic Monthly Press, was named one of People's Best of Pages and a New York Times Notable Book. In 1997, Alexie embarked on another artistic collaboration with Chris Eyre, a Cheyenne/Arapaho Indian. They agreed to collaborate on a film project inspired by Alexie's work. The basis for the screenplay was "This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona," a short story from The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Shadow Catcher Entertainment produced the film. Released as Smoke Signals at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1998, the movie won two awards: the Audience Award and the Filmmakers Trophy. Sherman has been a supporter of Native Lens since it’s inception and continues to champion creative expression for Native youth today. |
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Sonny Davis, member of the Quinault Tribe, is an entrepreneur, community activist, and budding artist. Sonny earned a bachelor's degree in Business from the University of Washington in 1992 and eventually gained a seat on the Quinault tribal council in a close election in 1999. Sonny championed positive social change through his many volunteer efforts in his tribal community, including coaching grade school basketball, supporting traditional coastal cultural, and helping institutionalize a process for a more transparent and accountable tribal government. In 2003 Sonny was appointed Tribal Liaison for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources by Commissioner of Public Lands, Doug Sutherland. Sonny's introduction to the world of philanthropy came in 2004 when he was asked to join the Board of Directors for the Potlatch Fund a Native non-profit based in Seattle. Currently, Sonny is busy with his startup company called Island Optics LLC which he co-founded with his business partner John Ericks in a unique collaboration and partnership with the Squaxin Island Tribe. Island Optics LLC manufactures patented flex titanium sunglasses and optical frames for wholesale and retail markets. Sonny has three awesome kids, maintains a strong connection to his coastal native culture of clam digging and salmon fishing, and his favorite yoga position is "tree pose"? make that "cedar tree pose"! |
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 Jamie Donatuto is currently the grant manager in the Office of Planning and Community Development for the Swinomish Tribe. Her duties include background research, grant writing, project design, project management, data analysis, report writing and project personnel oversight. Specific projects include: initiation and management of the Swinomish cable station, SWIN96; initiation and management of the Swinomish Environmental Education Program; and, researching and designing health assessments to include socio-cultural health specific for Native Americans. Jamie is also an accomplished writer and is working towards her PhD at the Department of Graduate Studies, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Her research foci being: traditional knowledge and knowledge transfer pathways.
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 Jessee Johnston, (Dakota, Scots-Irish, Hungarian, Latin heritage) is a 17-year old student at Roosevelt High School. He is a photographer, filmmaker and actor who has worked on numerous plays and films, most recently in “St. Chola” with the Roosevelt-Book-It Drama program, “The Knights of Company 503”, an independent student filmmaking project and FISH, a Native Lens production. In his spare time he likes to play video games, eat, play soccer for Eastside FC, eat some more, dance hip-hop and work at his part time “juicing” job.
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Patricia Christine Aqamuk Paul is Qikiktagrukmiut Inupiaq (Northern Alaskan Eskimo). Her tribe are the original inhabitants of the area of northwest Alaska surrounding modern day Kotzebue (Qikiktagruk). Patricia is an Alaska Native shareholder in the NANA Regional Corporation, Kikiktagruk Inupiaq Corporation and Doyon, LTD. Patricia is a graduate of Antioch University in Seattle and holds a JD from Seattle University Law School. She is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, in private practice in LaConner, Washington and Pat is a tribal judge, pro tempore. Many have requested her to lecture internationally on traditional methods of conflict resolution among the Pacific Northwest Indians and International Indigenous Law. Pat has been a guest speaker or lecturer in Brazil, Chile, Finland, Guatemala and Sweden. Also, she is published in Ireland, Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington DC and Washington State. Pat offers Longhouse Media her experiences in cultural and social justice movements and her knowledge of Washington State and International Indigenous Law. She is married into the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, where her husband is a woodcarver and currently sits on the tribal council. They have raised two children and are now raising a nephew |
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 Tanya Powers is currently earning her PhD at Seattle University in Education, after having recently completed her Master of Public Administration. She is researching the retention rate of Native American students in higher education. For the past few years Tanya has worked, as a Work First Financial Aid Coordinator, to assist low-income parents to develop and implement educational plans. Tanya is a Gates Millennium Scholar, and currently serves on the board of a number of educational and community institutions. As a board member for the Seattle Center Advisory Commission, she has been part of the development and construction of the Center House's approach to diverse community development, involvement and representation. Tanya is a Siberian Y'upik from Alaska, the mother of two strong girls, and has been living and working in Seattle for the past 10 years |
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| Colorful Special Guests Artists | |||
 Elaine Miles, is a Cayuse-Nez Perce Indian. She has been working with Native Lens since May 2004 and has been the host for The Full Circle gathering. Her first role of Marilyn on "Northern Exposure" was by accident - she had originally brought her mother in to audition, but the producers decided they wanted someone younger for the part and cast Elaine instead. Some of her films include: Tortilla Heaven (2006), The Business of Fancydancing (2002), Skins (2002), Smoke Signals (1998), Mad Love (1995), Housekeeper", Bill Nye, the Science Guy", "Northern Exposure" .... Marilyn Whirlwind. Elaine is currently booking for her comedy stage act. Like she says. "My stage act is nothing like Marilyn. Everyone thinks I am quite and shy like she was. Not this girl." |
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 Noah Watts, is a Los Angeles based actor who has been a guest artist and mentor of Native Lens in May 2005. Some of his films include: Skinwalkers (2002), Skins (2002), The Slaughter Rule (2002)
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 Eddie Spears, is an actor who has been a guest artist and mentor of Native Lens in May 2004 and 2005. Some of his films include: Into the West" (2005), Black Cloud (2004), Edge of America (2003), DreamKeeper (2003), The Slaughter Rule (2002), Geronimo (1993)
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Misty Upham, is a Seattle based actress who has been a guest artist and mentor of Native Lens since May 2005 and 2006. Some of her films include:, Edge of America (2003), DreamKeeper (2003), Skinwalkers (2002), Another Country (2002), Skins (2002) Find out more at: |
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 Adam Beach, is an actor who has been a guest artist and mentor of Native Lens since May 2005. |
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Copyright 2006 Longhouse Media
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Susan Balbas is of Yaqui and Cherokee heritage from the Southwest United States. She currently serves as the Executive Director for the Tierra Madre Fund for Indigenous Women. Recently Susan launched the Northwest Indigenous Film Festival, touring to four major cities in the Pacific Northwest, bringing together audiences, filmmakers and Native Activists for community engagement. Susan has been in the non-profit sector for several years, working as the Development Coordinator for the Changemakers Foundation, the Executive Director for the Native American Youth Association and as an instructor at Portland State University. Susan is an active volunteer for the Potlatch Fund, Philanthropy Northwest, Peace Development Fund, Indigenous Water Network of River Network. Susan is a member of the Social Justice Fund NW, Seattle, WA and the National Network of Grantmakers, Minneapolis, MN.
Laurie Sison is a proud member of The Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington State. As a Native Education Specialist, Laurie has experience developing and implementing school programs, after-school programming and summer day camps. She has also developed curriculum rooted in Indigenous philosophy, such as the Makah Whaling curriculum, and has advocated for equitable education for Native American children. Laurie’s background includes advocacy, direct services for the homeless, and activism for Native rights and sovereignty issues. As a mother of five, Laurie realizes the importance of Native pride, cultural awareness and community participation as vehicles for self expression and improved self-esteem in Native American youth. She has five children and she was recently awarded "The 2006 Colville Confederated Tribes Award in Educational Excellence". 
Rose Stiffarm is a Blackfoot, Tsartlip, Cowichan, Cree, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine and Sioux student at Garfield High School. She is extremely active in the drama and music departments, and has been stage manager in several school productions. She also has taken leadership roles in the following Native youth and community organizations: the All Native Basketball league, acting and drama with Red Eagle Soaring, Iwasil: Boys and Girls Club, the Indian Health Board and has contributed to Native Lens for two years as a youth producer and mentor.
Cody Lighnting, is an actor who has been a guest artist and mentor of Native Lens since May 2004. Cody was a guest artist during the Superfly Filmmaking Challenge 2007. He also acted in a movie titled "Four Sheets to the Wind" which played at the Seattle Internation Film Festival that same year.
Andrea Menard is an accomplished Metis First Nations artist in film, television and music. Andrea has been a wonderful supporter of Longhouse Media since 2007. As a mentor, she helped 10 Muckleshoot youth in producing an original music video. 
Victor Pascual (Navajo/Mayan) and accomplished artist, illustrator and graphic designer. His work focuses on the contemporary struggles of being indigenous in an urban environment. He also happens to make cookies and tells good jokes. Victor has contributed to Longhouse Media since 2007.