Tommie Lorene

Tommie Lorene is a Master Student in Graduate Programs in Human Rights Practice at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.  Tommie graduated from UA in 2021 with a BA in journalism and was a professional portrait and wedding photographer for over 20 years. Tommie is now focused on indigenous rights, universal basic mobility work in the US, and documentary media.

Tommie recently received a Native Pathways Graduate Research Award from UA's Haury Program in Environment & Social Justice to create a 20 - 40 minute documentary “We Are Still Here” on Duwamish Tribe. The Duwamish Tribe, dxwdəwʔabš have a history of at least 12,000 years in the land familiarly known as Seattle, WA / Greater King County. They were the first signatories on the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855, signed by Chief Si'ahl, who was chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. The Duwamish Tribe filed to be federally recognized in 1978. They received federal recognition from the Clinton administration in 2001, which was swiftly taken away by the Bush administration in 2002. “We Are Still Here” will be a short documentary showcasing Duwamish culture, strength, and resiliency despite lacking federal recognition and funding. The film will answer the questions of why being federally recognized is important, why the Duwamish Tribe has been denied the distinction, how the tribe has maintained its presence and culture, and how they support their community without federal funds.