Dina Gilio-Whitaker

Dina is a Colville Confederated Tribes first line descendant and a renowned scholar, educator, and author. Her most recent book, As Long As Grass Grows, honors Indigenous voices, centers Indigenous histories, values, and experiences, and creates foundational thinking of what environmental justice policy means in Indian country. Dina served as consultant to numerous film and television programs including the documentary Exterminate All the Brutes. Working side-by-side with David and Sally on all phases of production, Dina’s personal and scholarly understanding of the material and connection to tribal film participants is invaluable.

“As an educator who has studied and written critically about the American history of conservation and its participation in the genocidal removal of Native peoples from their lands, I am hyper-aware that this is a history that has been concealed in our national narratives and our education infrastructures. David’s story provides an easy way into the change that is necessary for other Americans to make in their own awareness, as we become more honest about our country’s “best idea.” It is relatable and reframes our narratives in a way that can bolster American pride, not tear it down, as we strive for the ideal of creating a “more perfect union.”  Truth is our ally, not our enemy.” – Dina Gilio-Whitaker