Returning Home

Returning Home

Artplace America | Indigenous Design Planning Institute
2022
Involvement: Co-Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
Other Contributors: Marcus Cloud, Paulette Moore, Skip SoRelle, Joseph Erb, Isaiah Smith, etc.

Created in collaboration with Artplace America and the Indigenous Design Planning Institute, Returning Home was produced through a film grant within UNM’s School of Architecture and Planning. As one of five films centered on Indigenous design and culture, this piece contributes to a broader initiative uplifting Indigenous-led approaches to community, planning, and storytelling.

This documentary focuses on Ekvn-Yefolecv, an eco-village in Alabama where community members have reclaimed their ancestral land and rebuilt a way of living grounded in their traditional lifeways. The film highlights elements of their cultural practices, land stewardship, and community structure, serving as both an educational resource and a means of cultural preservation.

I had the deep honor of working closely with the Ekvn-Yefolecv community, forming relationships built on trust and collaboration. The film was shaped with their guidance and told through their perspective, with a commitment to representing their story ethically, respectfully, and with care.