Our Directors
Ernest M Whiteman III
Northern Arapaho
Co-Director
Ernest M. Whiteman III is a Northern Arapaho filmmaker, artist, writer, and media educator.
Ernest is the Co-director of First Nations Film and Video Festival, Inc. a non-profit film festival supporting Native American directors. Ernest teaches an upper-level communications course, Native Americans in Media at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, and is currently an Instructor with YR Media.
Ernest continues to make films, write, and create art. He is working on a contemporary film adaptation of “Hamlet” with a full cast of Native American actors. Ernest has two self-published books, "The Autobiography of Blue Woman”, and his first novel "A Rez Tale". He is at work on film and video projects, "Ten in Ten" a documentary series, and "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the Zombie War" an Urban Native Horror.
He is from the Wind River Reservation and currently lives in Skokie. Not bad for a nameless Arapaho from Wyoming.
Samantha Garcia
Anishinaabe, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe
Co-Director
Samantha is an enrolled member of the Lac Courte Oreilles band of Lake Superior Ojibwe tribe in Wisconsin. She is the Co-director of First Nations Film and Video Festival and Apothecary Supervisor at the Raby Institute for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern.
Samantha is passionate about uplifting Native first voice in film and media and hopes to help grow the festival with integrity to its mission. In her free time, she enjoys engaging with Chicago’s diverse community culture, hiking, biking and playing guitar.
You can find her in Albany Park enjoying the north branch trail or any of the amazing local restaurants!
Our Board
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BC Echohawk
Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma/Otoe-Missouria/Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Board Member
Ms. EchoHawk was raised in Oklahoma City, OK and moved to Washington, DC at an early age. She is a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, and a descendant of the Otoe-Missouria and Iowa Tribes of Oklahoma. She has many years of experience working with national Native organizations, including the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Education Association, and the National American Indian Housing Council. Ms. EchoHawk has worked in communications, including film, webinar, and podcast production for over 20 years. She has worked with federal clients and grantees to develop virtual curricula and has served as a facilitator for training and strategizing events both live and on virtual platforms. Her film experience included working as a casting assistant, production assistant, and camera assistant in such films as Last of the Mohicans, Geronimo, and Leaving Las Vegas. She is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She currently resides in the Chicago area.
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Don Nole
Bad River Band of Chippewa - Northern Wisconsin
Board Member
Donald J. Nole - Chicago. Member of Bad River Band of Chippewa - Northern Wisconsin. Member of FNFVF board since 2016
Employment- IT Project Management for over 20 years
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Janie Pochel
Saulteaux
Board Member
Janie is the founder of the First Nations Garden and the Chi-Nations Youth Council. The First Nations Garden showcases the history and culture of Chicago’s Native community, featuring plants traditionally used by Natives for medicinal and culinary purposes. It also serves as a gathering, ceremonial and healing place for the community. The Chi-Nations Youth Council, on the other hand, is a youth-led organization that empowers young Native Americans to become leaders in their communities. The council provides a safe and supportive space for young people to learn about their culture, develop leadership skills, and engage in social and environmental activism.
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Cynthia Teschner
Descendent of Turtle Mountain and Standing Rock
Board Member
Coming Soon
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Christine Redcloud
Board Member Emeritus
Coming soon
Join our team.
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