Indigenous Peoples Student Project: Documenting Story Telling though Photographs and Video--Storytelling is a powerful method of communication; I do it with a camera. Telling stories stems from traditional cultures, many of which are represented at the Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. Photographs have the power to convey emotion and moment, and video has the power to transport the audience to another time and place. I choose how to frame the subject, when to push the button, which elements to arrange together, and how to connect them to tell a story. I also teach this process to students majoring in journalism. At the gathering I was able to photograph the site, the surrounding Black Hills, and interview people who are drawn to the grandmothers and their message. My Intro to Video Production class at the Stark Campus was assigned a project. Students had to tell stories from the photos/audio and video I collected at the conference with little direction from me about my experience. It was an incredible opportunity for them to learn about new cultures, to learn how to find the story, and to interview me to help build narratives. I will be sharing these video pieces and photo prints and bringing the gathering of the 13 Grandmothers experience to Kent State University.

Poems of Kimberlee Medicine Horn Jackson - Sometimes the soft voice, even the silent voice of words on the page can have a lasting impact on the heart and change it forever. For decades, the voices of the Native American Adoptee have been largely unknown and therefore; unheard. Today, more of us Lost Birds and Split feathers find our way back to our Native homelands through DNA testing or other mysterious means that are more than just coincidence. Adoption is another means of Indian removal; my poetry collection “Walking Fire” addresses this topic.