The Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) people have a deep, foundational history with river travel—including helping the Lewis and Clark Expedition on their descent of the Snake and Columbia rivers. Yet, centuries of forced displacement and systematic disconnection have left Tribal members largely absent from their ancestral waters.

hitoláayca (Going Upriver), a film by Anna Lueck, follows Devin Reuben as he trains to become the first certified Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) whitewater guide of his generation, forging a pathway back to ancestral waters, reclaiming his culture and laying a foundation of possibility for others to follow.

At its core, the film is both a celebration of resilience and a call to action to support the Pandion Institute’s Indigenous guide school program. To learn more about the Pandion Institute’s guide training and workforce development programming, and support the next generation of Indigenous river leaders, visit their website.