E30 Behind the Lens Dakota Wahkinney and the Power of Native Storytelling

What started with a small camera, homemade videos, and a love for being creative eventually turned into a career in digital media for Comanche tribal member Dakota Wahkinney.

In this episode, Dakota talks about his journey from filming high school basketball to working alongside professional athletes, creating media camps for Native youth, and using social media to help Indigenous communities tell their own stories.

But this conversation goes much deeper than cameras and careers.

Dakota talks about preserving the voices and memories of family members who are no longer here, the importance of giving Native youth someone to look up to, and why he believes the next generation should take what he has built and go even further. One of the biggest messages throughout the conversation is simple: you can come from a small community and still make your way into spaces you once only dreamed about.

Listen to Episode 30 now!