This project was born 20 years ago when I moved to North Dakota and had a naive view of Native Americans. Until then, I had not known any personally and had this Hollywood view of Native Americas living and dressing as if it was 200 years ago. I had the privilege of photographing many assignments on the Native American Indian reservations in North Dakota and getting to know many diverse people. I met many amazing individuals, and they opened my eyes to contemporary Indian life. I began to dismantle my Hollywood perceptions of Native Americans and began to try and understand what it might be like to have your entire culture and language ripped away from you. As with many things I struggle with, I turned to art to explore my emotions and help me work through them.