Through Her Eyes: An Indigenous Storyteller Reshapes the Film Industry

Kazsia Connelly framing her face with her fingers for a photo - Credit: Jarrette Werk

Sierra Pope | Multimedia News Intern

3-minute Read

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – As a kid, Kazsia Connelly failed to see any faces like hers on-screen. Now, the young citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is on a mission to change that by telling authentic stories that reflect the power, beauty, and complexity of Indigenous life.

While hiking through the Oregon woods, once the backdrop of a zombie short film she directed in high school, Connelly reflected on her path toward the restoration of Indigenous voice.

In January of 2025, Connelly began to further her education at Southern Oregon University, pursuing a degree in digital cinema, in hopes of dispelling stereotypes and inspiring Indigenous children through productions.

“One of the main reasons why I'm an actor is because I'm an Indigenous woman, and there's not lots of Indigenous people in films or TV shows or media in general,” Connelly explained to Underscore Native News and Indian Country Today. “I remember when I was a kid, whenever I saw a person of color on screen, I was like, ‘That's so cool. That's me.’”

Kazsia Connelly squatting for a photo - Credit: Jarrette Werk

Connelly continued to recall the many summers spent at the Grand Ronde Contest Powwow. Although she lived close, she felt disconnected from her culture, but is now seeking to rekindle cultural relations.

“I wasn’t raised in my culture,” Connelly told Underscore Native News and Indian Country Today. “Now that I am a young adult, I don’t want my kids to be raised separated from culture. Reconnecting with my culture has just been a relief and made me at peace.”

Connelly’s experience in the Willamina School District consisted of ups and downs. At once, she specifically noted the negative comments and demonstrations relating to race and gender, pushing her to develop a creative platform for women and Indigenous people.

“Indigenous people, we’re powerful,” Connelly said to Underscore Native News and Indian Country Today. “We have gone through so much throughout decades and hundreds of thousands of years. And we are still here. And that is saying so much.”

Kazsia Connelly posing for a photo  - Credit: Jarrette Werk

However, Connelly’s passion for media arts did not happen overnight—it began to take shape in middle school when she performed in a play called, “The Wedding.”

“In eighth grade, I took drama class and I just fell in love with acting,” Connelly expressed to Underscore Native News and Indian Country Today.

Certainly, Connelly’s journey is more than making movies. By stepping behind the camera and into her culture, she is challenging a business that appears to erase or misrepresent Indigenous narratives. With a clear vision to create stories that reflect truth and possibility, Connelly is opening doors for Indigenous youth to receive every on-screen opportunity as a space to belong.