Jared Lank (1991) is an Indigenous (Mi'kmaq) filmmaker and photographer living in Portland, Maine. He holds advanced degrees in anthropology, human geography, and public policy. Growing up in Arundel, Maine, Lank comes from families of Maine farmers and fishermen. His mother’s and father’s families have deep, multigenerational connections to place, an influence that has profoundly impacted Lank since an early age. Since childhood, he watched the lives of his family and community disappear under the constant encroachment of tourism and gentrification. The emotion of witnessing the erasure of local community, culture, and place is foundational to his work. Lank has dedicated his professional career to empowering the voices and stories of Indigenous people. Beginning in higher education, Lank initially worked in policy and advocacy to promote higher education access for Indigenous youth in the State. He leveraged his education to drive conversations around Indigenous representation in staff, student body, and curriculum. Now working in documentary filmmaking and photography, he combines his self-taught background in the visual arts with his academic background. He also leverages his presence on social media to promote public awareness of contemporary Indigenous issues and draw attention to pressing issues Wabanaki people face. Today, Lank works as an interdisciplinary artist and documentarian and continues to focus his practice on Indigenous self-advocacy. He centers his mission around Indigenous self-representation, community uplifting, mentorship, and inclusion of traditional Wabanaki knowledge. He believes investing in future generations is a fundamental responsibility and hopes his work will empower Indigenous youth to live in the power of their own experiences. Drawing inspiration from his lived experience, Lank grounds his work in the nuanced emotion of Indigenous existence in the 21st century and believes Indigenous knowledge is the catalyst for saving this planet. He hopes his storytelling will inspire a new generation and incite profound societal change.