hitoláayca: Going Upriver
Work In Progress
Synopsis:

Devin Reuben is training to be the first certified nimiipuu whitewater guide of his generation. The nimiipuu (Nez Perce) have a long history with river travel– in fact, they introduced the practice to settlers– but centuries of displacement and disconnection means Tribal members are now largely absent from their ancestral rivers. Devin says, “it's one big step for us: not just me, all of us. We're slowly bringing our culture back.”

Filmmakers:
Anna Lueck

Anna Lueck is a documentary producer and editor who tells stories about the people working toward a better world. She began her career at Brooklyn’s BRIC TV, where she helped produce videos on issues from climate activism to gun violence and won a New York Emmy. She returned to the Pacific Northwest three years ago to freelance, and is currently a graduate student in the University of Oregon's multimedia journalism program. She is particularly interested in stories about environmental justice, aquatic sciences, and the communities that depend on rivers and oceans.

Clark Shimeall


Clark Shimeall is a backcountry guide, youth educator, and reluctant non-profit executive based in Nez Perce and Cayuse territories of NE Oregon. With Josiah and Tiyana Blackeagle, he co-founded and now co-directs the Pandion Institute, which brings together outdoor recreation and tribal communities through Land-based experiential education programs for Indigenous youth that center culture, traditional ecological knowledge, and outdoor skills training. Above all else, Clark is a facilitator and connector, so as a producer he excels at bringing people together, building trust and shared vision, and making the camera as comfortable as possible. More on Clark at www.clarkshimeall.com.