A Team that Brings Native Documentaries to Life

Colleen Thurston is a  documentary filmmaker, educator and programmer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. As an Indigenous non-fiction storyteller, her films tend to explore the relationships between humans and the natural world and focus on Native stories and perspectives. She holds an MFA in documentary filmmaking  from Montana State University, where she also earned a graduate certificate in American Indian Studies. Her BA in Media Arts and Anthropology is from the University of Arizona. Colleen has been working in the Native film industry since 2010 and has worked for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian Channel and has produced and crewed documentaries for museums, public television stations and federal and tribal organizations. Her work has been supported by ITVS, Vision Maker Media, Firelight Media, Nia Tero, Sundance Institute, Patagonia, Creative Capital  and the Redford Center. Colleen also curates film and storytelling events, with an emphasis on Indigenous film. In addition to her work as Project Producer for Native Lens, she is a programmer for Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma where she teaches documentary studies and film production. Colleen is a 2023 Sundance Indigenous Film Fund Fellow and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

Kree Lopez is an enrolled member of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, with additional affiliation to the Ute Mountain Ute, Uintah Ute, and Spanish Heritage. Hailing from the picturesque landscape of Colorado, Kree carries a rich tapestry of cultural influences that inspire her work.

With a passion for storytelling and a diverse skill set encompassing graphic design, video editing, and audio production, Kree Lopez brings a wealth of experience to visual media. Her journey into the media world began with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinematic Arts & Technology from the IAIA Institute of American Indian Arts, setting a strong foundation for her creative endeavors.

Beyond the editing suite, Kree finds solace in the intricate art of beadwork, a skill passed down through generations within her family. Additionally, Kree’s heart is drawn to the majestic world of horses, reflecting a deep love for nature and a connection to her Indigenous roots.  

At the core of Kree’s mission is a commitment to amplifying Native voices and stories. Joining the Native Lens team as an Assistant Editor, she aspires to empower individuals to share their life experiences through the lens of their culture. Sharing these stories takes courage, and Kree is dedicated to continuing this vital work, ensuring that the narratives of Native Communities are heard and celebrated.

Colten is a Diné filmmaker from the Four Corners and has worked in the motion picture industry for a decade for such companies as ESPN, ABC, Hallmark, and his work has featured at the FilmQuest, Nashville, and Ouray Film Festivals. In addition to his work in film and television, Colten has mentored students at the college and high-school level interested in working in film and TV. He has worked for years training and running workshops about film lighting, camera operation, non-fiction storytelling, and screenwriting for youths and young adults. He loves physical media, talking about movies, excursions into the desert, and traveling with his spouse.

Crystal is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and graduated from Fort Lewis College. She was a reporter for Global Press Journal and Navajo Times. She aims to create a national audience for Tribal Radio by managing the website and social media platform. Besides geeking out in the digital world, she is a happy mother of three children.

Carol has spent the last forty-five years making documentaries for television. Her films have garnered Emmy Awards, Humanitas Prizes, The Writers Guild of America Award, and many more. She has produced for every major broadcast and cable network including PBS, National Geographic, Discovery, and NBC. Carol also teaches documentary filmmaking at Fort Lewis College in Durango. Over 40% of the students are Native American/Indigenous and have faced particularly difficult challenges during the pandemic. This was part of the inspiration to create Native Lens.

In her role at KSUT, Tami successfully raised over $2.5 million, resulting in the radio station moving into a new 5,000 square foot multimedia facility.   Prior to that role, Tami was a nonprofit consultant, professional mediator and facilitator over the course of 15+ years.  In 1996, Tami was awarded Woman of the Year at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado for her leadership as Station Manager of KDUR Community Radio.

Alex Forsett is 3rd-generation Coloradan, Advisory Board Member of the CMU Tech Digital Filmmaking Program and Exofficio board member of KAFM Community Radio where he hosts a weekly electronic music program called the Electric Desert. In 2023, Alex was named one of Current Magazine’s Rising Stars of Public Media. Alex has supported Native Lens since its inception in 2020.

Kate Perdoni is an award-winning arts and regional leader and Engagement Journalism Director at Rocky Mountain PBS. Since 2014, Kate has created multimedia, television and documentary productions at Rocky Mountain PBS including for Arts District, Colorado Experience and Colorado Voices. A recipient of research and reporting fellowships in land and water, Kate’s work focuses on the south-central Colorado region, homelands of bands of Apache, Ute, and Diné. Kate has been fortunate to work alongside the Native Lens team since 2023.

Sheila is a Southern Ute Tribal member from Ignacio, CO and Station Manager of KSUT Tribal Radio. In the spring of 2000, she started as a weekly on-air host of  the “Native Morning Show” – utilizing the airwaves as an outreach tool for her position as Environmental Specialist of the Southern Ute Tribe. Sheila currently provides oversight of all Tribal Radio activities and has provided input for media projects including as co-producer of “Native Braids” & Media Trainer for the Public Relations Department of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.

Tanaya Winder is a poet, vocalist, writer, educator, and motivational speaker from the Southern Ute, Duckwater Shoshone, and Pyramid Lake Paiute Nations. She received a BA in English from Stanford University and after completing her MFA in creative writing from the University of New Mexico, she co-founded As/Us: A Space for Women of the World, a literary magazine publishing works by Indigenous women and women of color. In 2015, she co-founded the Sing Our Rivers Red traveling earring exhibit to raise awareness about murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. Her advocacy also includes working with Native youth and reservation communities as the Director of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Upward Bound program, which serves approximately 103 Native youth from across the country. She is a 2016 National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development “40 Under 40” list of emerging American Indian leaders recipient and a 2017 First Peoples Fund Artists in Business Leadership fellows. Her debut poetry collection Words Like Love was published in 2015 and her chapbook Why Storms are Named After People and Bullets Remain Nameless was released in 2017. She believes in creating the spaces that are needed in this world and so she founded an Indigenous artists management company and collective called Dream Warriors, where they can uplift and empower others. Learn more about her work at www.tanayawinder.com and on YouTube.