I set out to create a documentary multimedia project that would present a portrait of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians by examining how each member of the community contributes to sovereignty of their Nation. Journalists often frame Native Americans as historic relics, poverty stricken and powerless, or, conversely, as members of wealthy tribes with special privileges, not as members of Nations that have had a presence on the land since long before Columbus.
I wanted to produce a media piece that moved beyond the stereotypes and to show the community on the Qualla Boundary through the lens of tribal sovereignty. I looked for stories and voices that would help to de-romanticize Cherokee citizens and break down the perception of Native Americans as stuck in history. Through photography, videos and essays, I sought to convey the reality that citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians use tribal sovereignty on a daily basis to continually define and re-define what it means to be a contemporary Cherokee citizen.
Throughout the project it was important for me to operate from a position of mutual respect, trust, and reciprocity informed by my shared cultural understanding as a citizen of an American Indian Nation myself. However, I approached the project as I do all my work in Indian Country, as an outsider. I am not Cherokee, and no matter how much time I spend on the Boundary, I will never be Cherokee. The best I can hope for is that I can enter a Nation in a good way and produce something that will truly speak to the issues that concern the community.
Credits:
Portraits of the Boundary was produced by Ryan Comfort, a member of the Keweenaw Bay Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and a graduate student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, with the support of:
Editorial
Pat Davison – Thesis Advisor
Associate Professor
Visual Communication
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Steven King – Committee Member
Assistant Professor
Visual Communication
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chris Teuton – Committee Member
Associate Professor
American Indian and Indigenous Studies
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Video: Introduction to the Qualla Boundary
Videography – Ryan Comfort
Music – “Its going to rain” by Paula Nelson
Video: The Language Student
Videography – Ryan Comfort
Music – “Hire Purchase” by Cian Nugent
Video: The Stone Carver
Videography – Ryan Comfort
Music – “Flood” by Jahzzar
Video: The Stickball Player
Videography – Ryan Comfort
Additional Camera – Cristina Fletes-Boute
Music – “Laceration” by Kai Engel
Music – “Irsens Tale” by Kai Engel
Music – “When the Lights Came On” by Kai Engel
Video: The Derby Girl
Videography – Ryan Comfort
Additional Camera – Suzannah Evans
Music – “Pensamento Secreto” by DMN Productions
Music – “At J” by DMN Productions
Photo: The Warriors
Photography – Ryan Comfort
Video: The Speakers
Videography – Ryan Comfort
Music – “Porthglaze Cove” by Gillicuddy
Photo: Cherokee Voices Portraits
Photography – Ryan Comfort
Design:
Design consulting by Rebecca Comfort
“Awesome” Theme by Graph Paper Press
Logo and Layout by Ryan Comfort
Very Special Thanks
I owe a deep debt of gratitude to T.J. Holland and Ben Frey, two extraordinary citizens of the Eastern Band who are committed to making sure the land, language, and culture survive for future generations. Without their help this project would not have happened.
Special Thanks
Bo Lossiah, Marie Junaluska, Myrtle Driver, Kylie Shuler, Becky Walker, Kevin Jackson, The New Kituwah Academy, Tom Belt, Western Carolina University, Sonya Wachacha, Amber Cruz, Blythe Winchester, The Cherokee Hospital Authority, The Smokey Mountain Roller Girls, Vicki Cruz, Qualla Arts and Crafts, Freeman Owl, Warren Dupree, The Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post 143, Tosh Welch, Yolanda Saunooke, Michael Slee, The Hummingbirds stickball team, and all the folks I met along the way.