B’ DOTE: LEARNING FROM PLACE

Sunlight reflecting off the surface of a pebble beach beside a body of water, with small rocks and stones along the shoreline. This is the base of the Mississippi River and the confluence of B'Dote.
A Native American woman with long dark hair smiling outdoors during daytime, wearing a black jacket and a necklace made of shells and beads, with trees and white tents in the background.
A riverside scene in the late afternoon with the sun shining brightly, casting reflections on the water. The riverbank is covered with small pebbles, and there is a branch partially submerged in the water. Trees line the opposite riverbank with a bridge visible in the distance to the right.

SACRED LAND

Because the B’Dote: Learning from Place tour is rooted in place, I wanted to create a piece that honored the land with enveloping soundscapes, beautiful landscapes and honest narratives told by the descendants of this place and its stories for the Minnesota Humanities Center.

A Native American man holding his tribal drum in front of the Mississippi River at sunset, with trees in the background.
A circular stone seating area with six large rocks, each labeled with different place names, overlooking a vast landscape with a city skyline in the distance at sunset.

Andrea Ellen Reed- Director, Co-writer, Producer & Music Supervisor Chris Jopp- Cinematographer & Editor Julianna Olsen- Co-writer

My team and I created this piece for the Minnesota Humanities Center to commemorate 10 years of their Bdote: Learning from Place tour over the course of a few weeks. The story always begins with the people so we started by interviewing Ramona and her son, Reuben. Ramona started this tour with Ethan ten years ago and her son now shares in the legacy and helps lead the tours as well. With their experience as a guide, we spent time with the land and captured sweeping landscapes just before golden hour, all accompanied by the sounds of nature we recorded to further support the narrative of this rich history.