Reclaiming Narratives ・ Redefining Futures

For more than a century, Hollywood and mainstream media have defined Native people. Not through our stories, but through their projections. Stereotypes, erasure, and misinformation didn’t just distort history. They shaped policy, fueled violence, and severed generations from their own image.

That is changing.

Led by award-winning filmmaker and educator Regina Dezbah Simons, MFA (Diné, Nakoda, Dakota), this keynote and consulting practice examines how Native storytellers are dismantling those narratives from the inside, and what institutions, educators, and collaborators must understand to be part of that shift rather than perpetuate it.

Key Takeaways:

  • Trace the documented history of Native misrepresentation in film & media, and why it matters today

  • Identify how stereotypes and erasure continue to shape Native communities, institutions, and public perceptions

  • Discover how contemporary Native filmmakers are asserting narrative sovereignty and redefining representation

  • Leave with concrete frameworks for ethical collaboration, responsible representation, and cultural accountability

  • Understand the emerging frontier of Indigenous narrative sovereignty in AI-generated media

Featuring from left to right: Regina Dezbah Simons, MFA and Betty Simons, M.ED

On location for the film, GREY

Available Programs

Every engagement is built around your community, your context, and your goals. Whether you’re a university reckoning with curriculum gaps, a festival committed to authentic representation, or an organization navigating ethical collaboration, this work meets you where you are and moves you forward.

BOOK A CONSULT NOW

  • A 60-90 keynote or workshop delivered live via Zoom or your preferred platform. Designed for universities, schools, and organizations who want a high-impact session without geographic limits. Interactive evidence-based, and built around your audience, not a generic slide deck.

  • A commanding, story-driven keynote that shifts how a room understands Native representation in film, media, and the institutions that shape both. Built for conferences, campus events, and professional development programs. Available regionally and nationally.

  • A deep-dive session for educators, filmmakers, media professionals, and organizational teams ready to move beyond awareness into practice. Combines facilitated dialogue, and applied storytelling frameworks that participants leave with, not just think about.

  • One-on-one or small group consulting for organizations, film & media teams, or institutions that want Native representation done right, not just defensibly. Script review, curriculum development, project consulting, and ethical collaboration framework built around your specific work.