PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
5th Annual Native American Writers Seminar Announces 2025 Fellows
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2025
Los Angeles, CA – The Native American Media Alliance has announced the selected fellows for the 5th Annual Native American Writers Seminar.
“It’s an incredible experience to see emerging indigenous talent develop through the seminar.” Announced Ian Skorodin, director of strategy for the Native American Media Alliance. “Each fellow learns the essential tools and opportunities to break in and maintain a career in this industry.”
The Native American Writers Seminar is a 2-month intensive that develops emerging indigenous writers. Each participant chosen for the seminar workshops an existing script with seasoned and established writers. The program provides intensive development workshops and is accompanied by rigorous creative sessions.
In addition, the seminar highlights prestigious writing programs, provides creative feedback and offers mentorship from past participants of Native American Media Alliance writing initiatives. These group sessions provide insight into career and professional growth.
The 5th Annual Native American Writers Seminar cohort:
Chase Hall is from Browning, Montana where he grew up on the Blackfeet reservation. He is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet nation (Amskapi Pikuni) who has earned his film degree from Montana State University with a minor in Native American Studies. Outside of working in film, Chase loves to read, draw, play video games, watch movies, travel, attend pow wows and catch up with friends.
Desireé Leialoha is a mixed-race and proud Kanaka O?iwi (Native Hawaiian) writer from the Bay Area who focuses her craft on telling stories that reflect the communities of where she grew up. Although removed from her family’s ancestral land by about 3,000 miles, she was raised by a fiercely Hawaiian family and continues to share the values and history of her heritage and identity with her teenage son. She studied Creative Writing and Ethnic Studies at Saint Mary’s College of CA. It is this educational background and her unique lived experiences as a diasporic-Kanaka and single mom from the SF Bay Area that is foundational in understanding how she forms characters and stories that can relate to multiple communities of readers. The kinds of stories she works to tell are those that connect us to where we are, our relationships, and let us know we aren’t alone in the world. Her writing experience includes short stories, personal essays, plays, and most recently has been focused on screenwriting craft. In 2024, her most recent short plays were showcased at the Native Voices 14th Annual Short Play Festival and Entertwine’s APIDA’s Short Play Top Ten Grand Event.
Marleah Makpiaq LaBelle is an aspiring screenplay writer of Sugpiaq, Iñupiaq, Dena’ina, and Filipina descent and is a tribal member of the Native Village of Port Graham. In Iñupiaq, Makpiaq, means “to turn pages,” and was named after her paternal grandmother, Clara Makpiaq LaBelle (Hensley). Makpiaq was raised between the urban landscape in Anchorage, Alaska and her mom’s village, Port Graham. Port Graham is a small Sugpiaq village located on the southern tip of the of the Kenai Peninsula – and is full of rich storytelling. In high school and college, she acted in a handful of theater productions and became aware of the lack of accessible Native stories. As a project manager, she engaged with Tribes throughout Alaska on community water related issues by engaging through cultural values, art, and theater. Makpiaq is currently a small business owner who finds time to pursue her true passion: writing. She has a master’s degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in rural development, and a bachelor’s of business administration with a minor in liberal studies from Alaska Pacific University. She is also an alumnus of Storyknife Writers Retreat, and artEquity’s BIPOC Leadership Circle.
Richard R. DeVore is a Native American screenwriter from Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico, whose work is deeply rooted in storytelling traditions passed down from his grandmother, mother, and the elders in his community. Inspired by these cultural foundations, Richard crafts character-driven stories that explore identity, resilience, generational trauma, and the pursuit of hope. He is currently developing multiple screenplays that reflect the struggles and strength within Native communities, including Feathers and Ashes, a coming-of-age drama about grief and cultural connection; Red Kings, a crime drama following three cousins torn between family loyalty and survival; and Warriors on the Gridiron, an underdog sports story grounded in reservation life and the power of unity. Richard is passionate about using film as a tool to uplift Native voices and bring authentic representation to the screen. His work highlights both the challenges and beauty of Indigenous life, focusing on narratives often overlooked by mainstream media. With a deep respect for craft and community, Richard is committed to telling stories that matter—not just for entertainment, but as a form of cultural preservation and inspiration for Native youth. He aims to be a voice for the next generation of Indigenous storytellers
Sonny Brava. For six years Sonny worked as a stand up comedian, Sonny traveled across the country showcasing their wit and warmth, with notable tours in 2015 and 2016. Their deep connection to community and humor inspired the joining of the Outsiders Comedy Tour, which brought unique perspectives and voices to new audiences. In addition to comedy, Sonny co-hosts and produces An OK Podcast, where listeners are drawn into genuine conversations on identity, creativity, and advocacy. In 2020, Sonny co-founded Believe New York, a nonprofit where they served as Director of Development until 2024, creating opportunities and fostering connections within underrepresented communities. With a strong professional background in digital marketing and development, especially within startups and nonprofits, Sonny is a powerhouse in strategic growth and storytelling. Now residing in Manhattan with their partner and beloved dog, Sonny continues to champion inclusivity and authenticity, as an Indigenous, gender-fluid/trans fem person, using their platform to amplify the voices of others and cultivate spaces where everyone can feel seen.
For more information please visit our website www.nama.media or email contact@nama.media.