An earlier version of this interview ran on NYWIFT’s Meet Our New Members series.

In this interview, Red House Project executive producer Jen Begeal sat down with filmmaker and social justice advocate Sarah Eagle Heart. Sarah, who hails from the Oglala Lakota tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, shared with us her creative journey from writing a book with her twin sister about reflections of identity, to working with musician John Legend, and to her latest feature film “Lakota Nation Vs. United States.”

Discussed was her passion for social justice storytelling and its significance in Indigenous communities. Sarah also sheds light on her experiences in the film industry and her hopes for empowering Indigenous youth to share their stories.

Jen: Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us a bit about your background?

Sarah Eagle Heart: I'm Sarah EagleHeart. I'm Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. And I was raised on the reservation and grew up there. I have really been focusing a lot of my energy in storytelling, in all sorts of forms.

Jen: You've labeled yourself a social justice storyteller on your website. Can you elaborate on what that title means to you and how it resonates with your work?

Sarah Eagle Heart: The term "social justice storyteller" was suggested by a friend when I was transitioning from the nonprofit sector to filmmaking. She said to me that I needed a brand and that everything I was doing sounded exactly like social justice storytelling. It just perfectly encapsulated everything I wanted to do—writing, producing, even my animated projects. It was such a great umbrella in which to hold all my projects under and it gives me the flexibility to move around in different sectors. I am definitely a multihyphenate, and see myself as not only a philanthropic leader, but also as an entrepreneur, a filmmaker and an author. I think a lot of times, what I have seen is that in traditional roles everyone wants to sort of box you into doing one thing. For Native people, however, we often have to navigate different sectors to bring representation to our communities, so this title allows me that flexibility to do my work effectively.

Jen: I want to take a few minutes and talk about your book, "Warrior Princess Strikes Back: How Lakota Twins Fight Depression and Heal Through Connectedness," which is probably the greatest name for a book ever. Where did the name and the idea for the book come from? I know that you worked on this with your twin sister. Can you tell me a bit about that?

Warrior Princesses Strike Back: How Lakota Twins Fight Oppression and Heal Through Connectedness — “The title comes from a powerful experience my sister and I had in high school when we protested against a racially insensitive school event.”

- Sarah Eagle Heart

Sarah Eagle Heart: The book was co-written with my twin sister, and it's a coming-of-age story about growing up on a reservation. The book aims to teach Lakota laws, share our experiences, and encourage reflections on identity and self-love. The title comes from a powerful experience my sister and I had in high school when we protested against a racially insensitive school event. It is really about Lakota women, the challenges that we've had to face from a young age to adulthood working in different sectors and our journeys through personal and professional relationships.

Jen: How do you incorporate Lakota teachings and spirituality into your film projects?

Sarah Eagle Heart: Integrating Lakota teachings into my films is essential to me. Part of it has been about being very vocal on the front end with these projects that I'm entering into and making sure it's the right team, that they're actually going to be heard, and that they're going to take into account the advice and the direction that I'm giving.

For instance, in Crow The Legend we emphasized the connection to animals as relatives through a virtual reality experience. When we say things like the two legged, or the four legged or the winged, what that means is they are all relatives, so explaining that interaction, in virtual reality form is really important.

In Lakota Nation VS United States, I was very much on the front end. In fact, I didn't say yes to the project immediately. It actually took me a month or longer for me to say yes, even after my friend Mark Ruffalo signed on. I wanted to follow my own intuition and sit with it for a while and li decide if it was the right thing to do. I advocated for spirituality to be at the core of the storytelling, specifically our connection to the Black Hills. Many people that are involved with the Black Hills, and really felt that it needed to be told from these differing perspectives. Early notes on the project were really about spirituality, and how we believe we emerge from Mother Earth out of a Wind Cave in the Black Hills. These are our creation stories and these elements enrich the narrative and share the importance of our cultural perspective.

Jen: Yeah, I was at the IFC screening in June, so I got a chance to see it on the big screen and thought it was incredibly powerful. What are your hopes and dreams for the film?

Sarah Eagle Heart, Mark Ruffalo and Kevin Killer

Sarah Eagle Heart: Ultimately, my dream is for the film to contribute to the return of the Black Hills to the Lakota people. And if you grew up, like I did in South Dakota, on the reservation, you didn't have a lot of access to the Black Hills. It was only through specific mentoring programs that I had access to be able to spend time and learn about the history of this land and the spiritual connection to it. I want this film to make sure that the next generation understands our history and this connection, and that we continue to fight and to love this land that we're from. The film aims to educate viewers about the history and spiritual significance of this land to us, beyond that I hope it sparks a sense of responsibility and passion in the audience to support our fight for reclaiming what is rightfully ours.

Jen: How did you go from working in social justice to writing and then into filmmaking?

Sarah Eagle Heart: Well, I would say my pathway was a bit non traditional. I started out in marketing and advertising at an Indian casino in San Diego right out of school, and loved it. Then I ended up in Pensacola, Florida, working at a small church, quite by accident. From there, I ended up working on the staff of the first female Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori. The first thing that the denomination did was to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery, this was back in 2009, they were the first ones to do so. So a lot of my work initially was me educating people about the Doctrine of Discovery, not only to the 2 million members of the Episcopal Church, but also at the UN, in DC, and other tribal leaders. Ultimately I was supporting the efforts of the different denominations to repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery at the World Council of Churches in 2012. Being in that role taught me how to tell a transformative story. It also taught me how to make the connections between my own life and my lived experience, and to translate them to other parallel experiences and lessons that I could teach, whether or not they were spiritual, or with other ethnic communities.

I was on this pathway of just learning, and storytelling became a part of my life. I was sitting in there with priests and learning how to tell stories from them. Eventually I went into philanthropy becoming CEO of Native Americans In Philanthropy, and I was educating foundations about the issues that we're facing in our community, sharing that lived experience, and then making connections for them to actually understand the issues.

Then another opportunity came, and it was at Standing Rock. At that time many non native communities, influencers and allies were suddenly awakened to the fact that they didn't have a lot of knowledge about Native communities, and so at that moment, I realized that I was there to educate them. This is what we needed to do, and we began teaching about Native issues, history, and land connection one-on-one to these influencers who were there to help.

It was after Standing Rock that John Legend asked me to come on board his project as a consultant producer Crow The Legend. Again, I didn't say yes, right away, it took me a while, because I wanted to vet the team. I wanted to understand my own connection and responsibility to the work. That project was actually my first film project, and it went on to win a Daytime Emmy, in five categories, which is crazy to me.

Jen: You've been involved in various projects and collaborated with many talented individuals. Have you worked with other Indigenous filmmakers, particularly Indigenous women filmmakers, and what has been your experience?

Sarah Eagle Heart: I'm currently working on projects with the goal of collaborating with Native women filmmakers. It's been an exciting journey, and I'm enthusiastic about stepping into the role of a director for an upcoming documentary feature film. Building relationships and networks within the Indigenous filmmaking community is crucial for creating authentic and culturally significant narratives. Also, I started an entertainment company a year ago called Zulia entertainment, with Twila True who is an Ogala Lakota woman who's a wealth leader and a billionaire, and it's been really fun to work with her. These projects are all coming out under this umbrella, so that's been really great.

Jen: As someone who is deeply committed to empowering Indigenous communities, what advice would you give to young Indigenous creators seeking to share their stories and break into the film industry?

Sarah Eagle Heart: First, educate yourself through various platforms, like masterclasses, online videos, and books. Seek out mentors and elders for guidance and ask for help when needed. Sometimes I think young people are too scared to ask for help.I think it's okay for them to ask questions of different elders and leaders and try to find their way to a Sundance community and go there and learn.I also think that for young people, I think that if you're interested in a subject area, like say, spirituality, it's okay to go out there and try to find that pathway for yourself. Building a strong network is so vital, so reach out to people and maintain relationships. Don't be shy; your stories matter, and the world needs to hear them.

Connect with Sarah on instagram at @ms_eagleheart and visit out her website. Also, be sure to check out Lakota Nation VS. The United States at @lakotanationfilm for more information.