Kanesia McGlashan-Price never imagined herself as a filmmaker. In 2021, during the depths of the pandemic, the young Unangax̂ woman was searching for inspiration when she signed up for the Alaska Native Filmmaker’s Intensive. She had no experience in film, and no intention of ever becoming a filmmaker.

During the intensive, Kanesia created a short film about traditional knowledge her grandmother had shared with her. Walking through her homelands, she recited a self-written poem — a tribute weaving together ecological wisdom and cultural memory. That first film sparked a passion that would take her on a path that led to presenting at a national conference and eventually on to PBS, where her 10-minute documentary Tides of Tradition premiered as part of NOVA’s digital series.

Kanesia’s journey represents what Vision Maker Media’s iNative 7G movement aims to achieve: nurturing Native youth through creative expression while addressing urgent health and wellness challenges facing Indigenous communities.

The crisis facing Native youth

Native American and Alaska Native youth face disproportionate rates of suicide, gun violence, addiction and mental health challenges. Recent federal funding cuts have only intensified these struggles, threatening to further isolate Native communities at a moment when connection and cultural grounding matter most.

But Vision Maker Media sees beyond the statistics to the solution: empowering young people to tell their own stories, in their own voices, rooted in their own cultural wisdom.

“Vision Maker Media is elated about the impact results that we are beginning to see a trajectory of improved mental health and youth leadership. These young storytellers are so empowered to creatively express and share their stories that this encourages them to continue a pursuit in more media making about their cultures and communities and helps heal,” said Francene Blythe-Lewis, president and CEO of Vision Maker Media.

Three programs, one vision

Vision Maker Media’s iNative 7G movement encompasses three interconnected programs: The Native Youth Media Project, Creative Shorts Fellowship and iNative Shorts for Kids.

The iNative 7G name honors the Indigenous principle of the seventh generation, which is the teaching that today’s decisions should consider their impact seven generations into the future. By empowering today’s youth storytellers, Vision Maker Media plants seeds for cultural healing that will flourish for 150 years to come.

The Native Youth Media Project brings hands-on filmmaking training directly to communities through partnerships with Native youth organizations and health service providers. Rather than requiring young people to travel to distant training sites, Vision Maker Media now contracts with professional Native filmmakers across their 100-person network to facilitate trainings in their own regions — an approach that honors local knowledge while building sustainable capacity.

The Creative Shorts Fellowship supports emerging filmmakers through year-long mentorships, pairing each fellow with a professional mentor of their choosing. Together, they develop comprehensive filmmaking lesson plans tailored to individual goals. Results speak volumes: fellows increase their filmmaking skillset by 50%, their technical knowledge by 26%, and their business and marketing skills by 22%.

iNative Shorts for Kids, launched in April 2025, brings positive portrayals of Native life to children ages 6-12 through bite-sized YouTube episodes. Hosted by Frankie the Hawk, an animated guide, the series explores Native languages, arts, Indigenous science and traditional knowledge — offering young viewers mirrors that reflect cultural vitality rather than stereotypes.

From training to transformation

What makes these programs powerful is the recognition that creative expression does more than build technical skills — it builds identity, resilience and community connection.

The programs create a trajectory of growth that begins with research, exploration and creation. Success leads to community engagement, including reviews, interviews and recognition. That recognition opens doors to speaking engagements, intergenerational knowledge transfer and professional development. Eventually, youth participants become mentors themselves, leading arts organizations and educating others.

This trajectory isn’t theoretical. Since 2020, these three programs have educated, trained or mentored nearly 500 young people. They’ve established partnerships with Native health organizations, schools and community groups from Alaska to New Orleans. They’ve created spaces where, as one participant noted, young people practice “Native community values and protocols” while developing marketable skills.

Stories that change the future

Since 1976, Vision Maker Media has shared film stories from 421 Native American Tribal communities, reaching an average of 90 million viewers annually through PBS broadcasting. Eighty percent of Native American shows broadcast on PBS were created and produced by Vision Maker Media, filling a void and countering the stereotypes that once dominated.

Now Vision Maker Media is expanding this legacy to center youth voices and community wellness. The organization is building partnerships with health institutions, educational organizations and community groups to create culturally responsive community-centered systems of care.

The timing is critical. As federal funding shrinks and challenges mount, these programs offer spaces where Native youth can see themselves reflected positively, practice cultural traditions, explore health and wellness issues on their own terms and develop skills that open pathways to meaningful careers.

From Kanesia’s first steps with a camera to her film premiering on PBS, the journey illustrates that when young people are given tools to tell their own stories, those stories become medicine — healing individuals, strengthening communities and changing how the world understands Native life.