This project was unique for me—I was hired to film my friend Duane Pasco, a renowned Pacific Northwest Native Style artist, through all the stages of work on a 30′ totem pole that was commissioned by the Saltchuk Family of Companies for their new corporate headquarters on the Seattle waterfront. I filmed Duane from the milling of the Alaskan red cedar log all the way to the pole’s crating and delivery by crane through the 9th floor roof down to the 6th floor lobby. I have followed Duane through projects before, but this time instead of editing a film together on my own I sent all of my video files off to YUIT Communications in Anchorage where they edited it together for Saltchuk with interviews they filmed with Duane and the Saltchuk CEO. A longer version of this film plays on an installation at the base of the totem in Saltchuk’s lobby…I was really happy with how this collaboration turned out—it almost does justice to the incredible piece of art that Duane created.
Below are two more films featuring Duane Pasco that I made for the JayHawk Institute, a nonprofit founded by Duane and his wife Betty (a Suquamish elder and artist) to pass on their considerable knowledge of, and passion for, Pacific Northwest traditions and culture.
Duane Pasco talks about traditional Northwest Coast canoes.
Documenting Duane and his apprentice Randi carve this raven house post was my first video project with Duane for the JayHawk Institute.
Telling the Same Story in Two Different Ways
CB’s Nuts was asked by the state of Washington to provide their single ingredient peanut butter to Washington food banks during the pandemic, at a time when getting nutrition to families while school was remote was so challenging. It was an enormous undertaking to meet that extra demand, resulting in the shipping of more than 1,000,000 additional jars of peanut butter, and CB’s wanted to tell that story in two versions–one in more detail, the other one very quickly for social media.
Preserving a History Through Story
I do a lot of work with the Council for Tribal Employment Rights, a national nonprofit that advocates for and counsels Tribes regarding employment rights and Indian Preference in work that happens on and around reservations. Their work has been ongoing for 44 years and has helped bring better lives and hope to people in Indian Country–I had the privilege of recording some of the stories from the very beginnings with 3 of the organization’s founders.
Revival of the Cedar Bark Canoe Sail
Another project with the JayHawk Institute, this time documenting a year+ project organized by Betty Pasco. Cedar bark sails probably had a place in almost every Northwest Coast Indian canoe that plied coastal waters before white contact. Betty, along with other members of the Suquamish and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes, worked over the course of more than a year to create what was probably the first working cedar sail made in at least 150 years.
Other Video Work
Documentary work is the most fulfilling video work that I do, but more often what keeps the lights on is event filming (I shoot 2-3 weeklong conferences a year), interviews, short clips and how-tos for websites.