Author: Ian Skorodin

Richard R. DeVore is a Native American screenwriter from Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico. Born and raised on a reservation, storytelling has been a cornerstone of his life since childhood. Influenced by the voices of his grandmother, mother, and the elders in his community, Richard learned early on the power of stories to preserve culture, heal… Read more »

Marleah Makpiaq LaBelle is an aspiring screenplay writer of Sugpiaq, Iñupiaq, Dena’ina, and Filipina descent and is a tribal member of the Native Village of Port Graham. In Iñupiaq, Makpiaq, means “to turn pages,” and was named after her paternal grandmother, Clara Makpiaq LaBelle (Hensley). Makpiaq was raised between the urban landscape in Anchorage, Alaska… Read more »

Desireé Leialoha is a mixed-race and proud Kanaka Oʻiwi (Native Hawaiian) writer from the Bay Area who focuses her craft on telling stories that reflect the communities of where she grew up. Although removed from her family’s ancestral land by about 3,000 miles, she was raised by a fiercely Hawaiian family and continues to share… Read more »

Chase Hall is an emerging Blackfeet screenwriter from Browning, Montana where he grew up on the Blackfeet screenwriter. Originally born in a larger city, his parents made the choice to move back home so that their family could live with their people and grow up knowing where they come from. Chase still carries with him… Read more »

Mercedes Stafford is a multifaceted artist with a passion for directing, acting, and stage management. A proud AMDA alum, they hold a BFA in Musical Theatre and have spent the past six years in Los Angeles building a dynamic career in theater. Mercedes is currently a member of the administrative team at Mouthbone Theatre, a… Read more »

Joey Clift is a Los Angeles-based comedian, Emmy and Peabody-nominated TV writer, and an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington State. Growing up, Joey aspired to become a local TV weather person because he didn’t see Native American comedians on screen and thought a career in comedy was off-limits. He has since proven… Read more »

Jaslyn Cowboy-Whatley is a Northern Arapaho, Eastern Navajo, Chicana, who is a very soft spoken, artistic, academically – focused student. She plans on graduating to pursue her college degree. Her teachers credit her work ethic and humble nature for her success. She has been involved in choir, speech, and debate, and multicultural clubs. She is… Read more »

I am from Mississippi and enrolled in the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. I am also part Cahuilla Indian from the Santa Rosa reservation. I’m 22 years old and I graduated from Noli Indian school in California. I moved to California in 2015 to live around my other family.I am currently attending California Indian Nations… Read more »

     Ever since I can remember, movies have been my greatest source of inspiration. The way a story unfolds on screen, the emotions an actor can evoke with just a glance or a subtle movement, and the ability to step into another person’s life for a brief moment all of it has fascinated me… Read more »

     Brittanie Sheree is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and multi-talented artist with a passion for using humor to elevate Indigenous stories. As a writer, stand-up comedian, actor, filmmaker, and business owner Brittanie has carved a unique niche by blending comedy and history. Brittanie starts every project with the same goal: How can… Read more »