Sky Hopinka (b. 1984, Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians) was born and raised in Ferndale, Washington, and has lived in various locations including Palm Springs and Riverside, CA, Portland, OR, and Milwaukee, WI. In Portland, he studied and taught Chinuk Wawa, an Indigenous language native to the Lower Columbia River Basin. His work in video, photography, and text explores themes of Indigenous homeland and landscape, emphasizing language as a vessel for cultural expression. Hopinka’s practice integrates personal and non-fictional forms of media to examine the complexities of identity, culture, and place, with a focus on how language shapes our connection to the world and reflects Indigenous ways of knowing and being. His work highlights the importance of preserving Indigenous narratives and experiences.