Grew up in Portland. Oregon with adoptive parents

Traveled to Oklahoma at the age of 18 to receive tribal diploma, officially joining the Cheyenne-Arapaho

Wrote and directed short film "Tenacity"; shown at 1995 Sundance Film Festival

Together with writer Sherman Alexie, began develping material at the Sundance Filmmakers and Screenwriter's Lab, resulting in the short, "Somebody Kept Saying Powwow", culled from the second act of the longer script that would become "Smoke Signals"

Became the US recipient of the Cinema 100/Sundance International Award

Co-produced and directed "Bringing It All Back Home", a documentary about Indian performance artist James Luna (also co-producer); shown at 1998 Sundance Film Festival

"Smoke Signals", adapted from Alexie's "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven", premiered at Sundance Film Festival and became the first major theatrical film written and directed by and starring Indians

Directed "Skins", a contemporary comedy-drama about Native Americans; screened at Sundance

Helmed the TV adapation of Tony Hillerman's novel "Skinwalkers" (lensed 2002) for airing on PBS' "Mystery!"