Acosia Red Elk

Our Co-Founder and Creative Director, Jess, is Lakota and wanted to shed light on other indigenous voices. From this stemmed Jess’ first passion project. Her goal is to highlight Acosia Red Elk’s story to inspire others.

Acosia is from the Umatilla Tribe in the Plateau Region of Oregon. She caught on fire as a child, and half of her body was burned. Also, her dad was a Resident School survivor. As a result, Acosia lost him to substance abuse on her 9th Birthday. After undergoing these childhood traumas, she descended into a downward spiral. Acosia started on her healing journey when she picked up Jingle Dancing. She is a 10x World Champion Jingle Dancer. Acosia dances with @indigenousenterprise - a well-acclaimed Native-owned dance troupe that performed at the Super Bowl. When she discovered yoga, that practice brought further healing into her life. She is a yoga instructor @7genwellness_ spreading the message that “movement is medicine.”

Acosia's story is a testimony of the healing power yoga can provide and how it can transform our lives. Her courage and resilience inspire us; we hope her story will inspire you too. To us, the message and purpose of a video are equally important as the visuals. This creative piece has been a reminder of how fulfilling it can be to pursue passion projects like this.

Be sure to follow @acosia_ @indigenousenterprise and @7genwellness_ for more inspiration.

Creative Director / Producer: @jessi.rae.jones
DP / Gaffer: @racejones
1st AC: @rkkino_rev
BTS / PA: @alexsweeet
Lead Editor: @jessi.rae.jones
Assistant Editor / Sound Design: @racejones