“Sometimes activists are so busy and overwhelmed that nobody documents what they do. So that’s what I do.”

Artist Andrea Bowers was a speaker at the 2020 Summit, discussing her work around climate change throughout her career, which started with a tree-sitting, attempting to save a 400 year-old oak tree. She also joined the Standing Rock Sioux in solidarity to protect their lands from the Dakota Access Pipeline (early 2016 to February 2017). This action continues to inspire, alter and impact her work. 

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After Standing Rock, Andrea documented the story through film and the perspective of young activist Tokata Iron Eyes, showing her sacred sites. In her language, 'Tokata' means 'Future' and this sixteen-year old clearly has important views on this: "To be able to build a new system, that encompasses the modern parts of this world and these ancient important teachings of our ancestors, that’s the kind of system that we need as humanity to be able to begin to really prosper as people with emotions, with feelings, and with dreams". She continues, "Even in the worst of times there’s going to be a possibility for something better.  And it’s going to be real and all it takes is for us to do our part". Andrea continues to document activists, trying to find hope within eco-grief. 

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Watch Andrea's latest film here.