Longhouse Media Information

Longhouse Media is a Washington State non-profit organization, launched in January 2005 by Executive Director, Tracy Rector and Artistic Director, Annie Silverstein with the support of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The mission of Longhouse Media is to catalyze indigenous people and communities to use media as a tool for self-expression, cultural preservation, and social change. Central to Longhouse Media is the belief that young people are the next generation of storytellers and educators and we focus much of our efforts on our nationally acclaimed youth media program “Native Lens.” Native Lens teaches filmmaking to Native youth as a form of self-expression, inquiry, community development, and cultural pride and preservation. In only four dynamic years we have worked with more than 950 Native youth in the Pacific Northwest through partnerships with regional tribes, funding agencies and established non-profits. Meanwhile, Longhouse Media has continued to develop an array of successful media arts programming for indigenous communities; partnering with the Seattle International Film Festival; producing the acclaimed feature length documentary March Point for PBS’ Independent Lens; supporting the work of Urban Indian artists through the annual art show “Expressions”; launching the on-reservation Swinomish youth produced monthly television show Native Lens TV; and offering an ongoing series of educational workshops and trainings in partnership with tribes, schools, museums, cultural centers and health clinics.