First A.I.M. Member to Receive Grammy and Smithsonian Nominations

Picture Courtesy: Kyle Heinrich Joe Pekara is mostly known as the famous concert photographer for Nappy Roots. Nappy Roots is an award-winning and Grammy-nominated multi-platinum selling Hip Hop Group; Pekara has worked with them on several tours. Joe also works with Grammy-nominated artist Wale. Other than photographing concerts, he also loves to photograph wildlife and nature. Joe believes in capturing the beauty of the world through his lens. He mentions how people are so involved with social media and other things that they often forget to look at the beauty of things around them. His work aims to represent that beauty that often goes unnoticed. His recent photograph titled 'Sacred Woman' won a Smithsonian nomination; the photo represents an indigenous woman's connection with nature. He has used his work to draw attention towards his people, Pekara himself belongs to the Indigenous culture. After his photo was nominated for the Smithsonian award, he and the model Joslyn, who is also a part of the Native American community, expressed interest in working together on future projects that would highlight the indigenous people and their culture. The two wish to work on issues relating to the environment as well. His photography on the beautiful culture of Native Americans displays the uniqueness of his people and how they have a special connection with nature that other people or groups do not have. This connection with nature allows them to care more about the environment. This is why they wish to protect the environment and bring awareness to such issues. Pekara is not just a photographer but also an activist; he is a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM). The American Indian Movement is a movement that was launched in July of 1968. The aim of the movement was to shed light on the systemic issues that Native Americans face. These issues range from poverty to police brutality and the brutal history of abuse against the Native Americans. Joe is the first member of the grass-roots movement to be nominated for Grammy and Smithsonian Awards. This way, he uses his photography to show the world the extraordinary culture of his people. Also, he uses his fame to bring awareness about the issues faced by Native Americans in the United States. Joe is known in his community by the name of "Sagonige Yanasi," which means "Blue Buffalo." He has been a well known and renowned activist for many years. He belongs to the Choctaw and Tsalagi Tribes and serves as an inspiration to the indigenous youth. He believes that youth should work hard and continue to strive for their goals. They should not let anything restrict them from taking up space and fighting for their rights and their future. Joe has attended and been a part of many protests in order to speak for his people. The picture above and the one at the start of the article are both were clicked by Kyle Heinrich. The image not only stars the AIMs flag but captures the wall chalking about racism and the injustice of the society. He claims that being part of the movement is his way of being a voice for his people and standing up for them. He uses his activism to honor his culture and to stand for the rights of Native Americans. Yanasi marches and protests for all those who cannot speak up due to lack of means or are scared to do it. He believes that by working with the American Indian Movement, he can help in changing the image of Native Americans. The negative image that has been created due to government misconduct and systemic racism, groups like AIM work to recreate this negative image and represent the Native Americans in a positive light. Being an activist has taught Joe a lot of things about society and how his people have been treated brutally for many years by the government. He wants both indigenous youth and elders to work together to create awareness as he believes educating the masses is the only way to change the ideals people hold about the Native Americans. If people are taught and shown the abuse this community has had to face, they will realize that the government has wronged them over the years. This way, awareness can help change the way Native Americans are viewed and treated. Joe has been protesting and attending rallies and marches to show support for the recent movements against police brutality around the country to bring awareness to his culture and all people of color. He believes that we cannot be "equal" until we all are treated equally. Joe's message to all his people, followers, and fans is that they should not let anyone silence them. He believes that his people and their culture have been silenced for too long. Now it is time for them to be brave and stand up for what they love. He claims that no matter how hard times get or how many people criticize you if you stay consistent, you will be able to bring a change in this world and create a better future for yourself and your community. If you are interested in checking out Yanasi's work, his photography can be found at pharaoh171photography.com/a>