Our story
As an Italian photographer and Lakota writer duo, we are often asked the question, “how exactly did you two meet and begin a collaboration?” Our story begins in 1998 in Fremont, Nebraska. That year, we were both new in town as Carlotta came from Italy to study as a foreign exchange student and Danielle had just moved from her home state of North Dakota. As two creative souls who felt like outcasts in our new environment, we became fast friends and inseparable. We bonded over our constant thirst of curiosity and a love of music, art, theater and thrifting. Fast forward to present time and we are still very close friends despite being split by two continents and separate life paths. We consider each other huŋká sisters; this is the Lakota way when two people adopt the huŋká relationship by assuming a bond stronger than kinship or friendship.
In the summer of 2013, we were visiting each other in London and discussing how to collaborate on a passion project together. We figured it would gives us an excuse to hang out more, while working together on something that we could be proud of and express our creative strengths. Carlotta had always taken interest in learning more about Danielle’s Native American background, while Danielle had a passion to teach others the accurate and beautiful side to her culture and people. By the end of the evening, we had purchased plane tickets to North Dakota and found ourselves on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation the following month to visit Danielle’s family and to begin networking within the community. At the time, we weren’t exactly sure the direction our project would take, but what we did know is that we were on a mission to highlight all the beautiful, inspiring people and stories of Indian Country, thus The Red Road Project was born.
About us
Danielle SeeWalker
Danielle is Húŋkpapȟa Lakȟóta and citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. She is a fine artist, muralist, writer, activist, and boymom of two, based in Denver, Colorado. Her visual artwork often incorporates the use of mixed media and experimentation while incorporating traditional Native American materials, scenes, and messaging. Her artwork pays homage to her identity as a Lakȟóta wíŋyaŋ (woman) and her passion to redirect the narrative to an accurate and insightful representation of contemporary Native America while still acknowledging historical events.
Alongside her passion for creating visual art, Danielle is a freelance writer and published her first book in 2020 titled, “Still Here: A Past to Present Insight of Native American People & Culture.” She is also very dedicated to staying connected and involved in her Native community and has served as a mayoral appointed City Commissioner for the Denver American Indian Commission since 2019.
You can find more of her work on her website.
Carlotta Cardana
Carlotta Cardana is an editorial and commercial photographer based in London, specialised in portraits, travel and reportage photography. In her personal practice, she looks at how communities are affected by economic upheaval and oppression, indigenous spirituality, the relationship between humans and their environment and at how one’s identity is shaped by the society and space he/she inhabits, such as among minorities or subcultures.
Carlotta’s work has been awarded and exhibited in numerous international galleries and festivals and is included in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery and the Parliamentary Art Collection.
She is a regular contributor to international publications such as: National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The New York Times Style Magazine, Bloomberg, De Volkskrant, L’OBS, The Telegraph Magazine, and the Financial Times.
You can see more of her work on her website.