Growing up, I was told to “make it off the rez.” I was made to believe it was an unfortunate place to live. I grew up experiencing racism, addiction, suicide, and murder either firsthand or through someone I knew. It felt as if it was every little rez kid's dream to find a way to get off of the land that our ancestors were forced onto. Of course I wanted to leave. When I left for college, it was my first time leaving the reservation for a long period of time. I started to realize that the place I promised to leave was the same place I now longed to go back to. I wish I could go back in time and teach my younger self to see the good amongst all the negativity that shaped my view of what my home is. With this series, I’m creating a new narrative for a place that is often viewed as deplorable. By portraying strength and pride in my subjects, I am highlighting the dignity of what my home is, inviting the viewers to see beyond the surface of reservation life and to embrace a changed perspective that I, too, have come to realize.