Who was Sacajawea – OFFICIAL BLOG

November 24, 2020November 24, 2020

Life is a journal full of discovery!

Journals help us remember experiences, hopes and dreams that form and shape us. For Ages, journaling has been a part of most cultures and traditions. In 1805-06, words written into journals chronicled the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which gave us a unique understanding of what happened on that journey.

As Sacajawea traveled with the Corps of Discovery, the captains and several other explorers wrote about her in their journals. One powerful entry gives us a snapshot of Sacajawea’s determination. But, to appreciate the grandness of this entry, we have to remember Sacajawea was a slave, she was a kidnapped, Native young woman living at a time when men dominated. So, for these men to actually write about her was astounding. But, for her to feel she could voice her opinion showed her incredible inner strength and character.

In this entry, Sacajawea had not seen the Great Water, and she wanted to so badly. She knew they would be returning east soon. So when the captains said they were going to the ocean to see a whale that had washed ashore, instead of being silent, Sacajawea stood up for herself. Here is the account from Captain Lewis’ journal written January 6, 1806:

“[T]he Indian woman was very impo[r]tunate to be permited to go [to the ocean], and was therefore indulged; she observed that she had traveled a long way with us to see the great waters, and that now that monstrous fish was also to be seen, she thought it very hard she could not be permitted to see either.”

From these and other words, written over 200 years ago, we formed the character of Sacajawea for the feature film, Sacajawea, The Windcatcher. Now is your opportunity to chronicle your own life events, your ideas and your dreams. This beautifully bound, reasonably-priced journal would be a most meaningful Christmas gift for a young person just starting their quest or an older person writing their memories.

Please visit our store for some magnificent gift ideas, and the Journey of Discovery Journal at: https://spiritwindcollection.com/collections/sacajawea-the-windcatcher/products/journal-sacajawea-the-windcatcher-1

Happy Holidays to all!
Jane

Concept Artwork by Marcia K. Moore

October 12, 2020October 12, 2020

Kaären F. Ochoa to Direct the Epic Film, Sacajawea, The Windcatcher

Sacajawea, The Windcatcher, an International feature film project about the life of Sacajawea, is proud to welcome Kaären F. Ochoa to the production team, as Director.

Kaären is an award-winning filmmaker, with three DGA Award nominations, the New Mexico Women in Film Sage Award for dedication and leadership in the film industry, and induction into the New Mexico Film & Television Hall of Fame this year. Two documentaries she wrote and field directed, as part of the La Raza Series for ABC/McGraw-Hill, were nominated for the Peabody Award.

With over 30 years in the film industry, Kaären has the knowledge and expertise to bring the character of Sacajawea to life – her history, power, perseverance and passion – all seen from Sacajawea’s perspective – on one of the most significant journeys in United States history.

“Jane Fitzpatrick has written a compelling and suspenseful script that allows us a window into the life and world of Sacajawea as she might have experienced it. A natural world that was wild and beautiful, capricious and often terrifying. A world that was known by the Native people who lived and died, summered and wintered, hunted and birthed within it, but was ‘unknown’ by late-arriving white men who had not yet travelled and trampled it. In this portrayal, Sacajawea is not defined by Lewis and Clark’s expedition, their expedition is defined by Sacajawea.”
~ Kaären F. Ochoa

A member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) since 1986, Kaären has worked as Assistant Director on such films as Milagro Beanfield War and A River RunsThrough It, both with Robert Redford directing; Crazy Heart, directed by Scott Cooper, with Jeff Bridges; Appaloosa, directed by Ed Harris; Selena, directed by Gregory Nava with Jennifer Lopez; Georgia O’Keeffe, directed by Bob Balaban, with Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons and most recently, the Disney film Stargirl. Her television work includes the mini-series Return to Lonesome Dove, Crazy Horse and Into the West. She AD’d the pilots for Breaking Bad and In Plain Sight and Season 2 of The Girlfriend Experience. As Unit Production Manager for Proof of Life, directed by Taylor Hackford, with Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe, she spent a year in Ecuador in 2000. In 2011, she was the U.S. Line Producer/UPM on the feature Gambit, starring Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz.

Kaären’s career began in Los Angeles as a writer, co-producer and director on documentaries and children’s films for ABC and PBS. She became a member of the newly formed Women in Film in Los Angeles and later a founder of New Mexico Women in Film, a board member for many years and past president. Since directing three short films, her current writing projects include the rewrite of a feature film in development, which would be her next directing project after Sacajawea, The Windcatcher.

Kaären has enjoyed mentoring other women and men, including many who are now active, long-time filmmakers. She is most proud of her daughter, 1^st AD Chemen Ochoa, and her son, David Ochoa, who are both professionals in the film industry.

A mesa top, near Abiquiu, New Mexico, is home to Kaären and her husband, artist Doug Coffin (Potowatomi/Creek), where they enjoy good wine from their cellar and the beautiful views of Georgia O’Keeffe country. The entire Sacajawea production team welcomes Kaären F. Ochoa to the project, as they continue onward to produce this worldwide, epic film.

The Windcatchers!

October 27, 2018October 27, 2018

Who was Sacajawea?

There are two very prominent Native American women in our country’s history. Pocahontas has been in the spotlight many times. We have seen her depicted in biographies, movies, children’s animated films — her life has been shared over and over again. We have formed an understanding of who she was, what she did and how she lived.

Sacajawea catches the feather — Art by Marcia K. Moore – Official Artist for the Sacajawea project

But, the other prominent Native American woman, Sacajawea, is a mystery. There are a few lines about her in history books as she relates to the Corps of Discovery. We know her name, yet it is controversial. We know how long she lived, yet it is controversial. We know she was Shoshone, yet it is controversial… It is hard to know what to share because so many opinions and traditions dance around her existence.

But, what we do know is that from a young age this girl suffered greatly when she was ripped from her family and tossed into a different culture of people and a world with white men. Who would have ever thought this stolen child would be given an opportunity to contribute to the birth of a Nation?

Sacajawea deserves to be recognized and honored. If we look deeply, there are many things that are not controversial at all. She became a strong woman and survived horrendous experiences. She was a devoted mother who cared for her young son and later her daughter. She respected the earth and its riches and knew what would sustain her. She had a betrothed but was forced to have a child with an abusive Frenchman. Sacajawea was highly respected by the soldiers and they even wrote about her in the Lewis & Clark journals. She was a warrior for peace.

With the documented history and thrilling adventure of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, we have created an intriguing backdrop for the character of Sacajawea based on what we know, based on the traditions of her people and other tribes, and based on the time period. But, the greatest element of this story, that is evident from both her journey and ours, is Sacajawea’s own determined and transparent Spirit — and her willingness to share it with us.

This is the UNTOLD story of Sacajawea. Welcome to the journey! Please FOLLOW this blog for updates on the project.

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June 25, 2017October 25, 2020

Sacajawea was a watcher of her heart

What will we learn from life? Will we just exist day to day or will we venture out, will we walk with courage into the unknown? What are the lessons we learn from Sacajawea as she set out on her journey of discovery? A real journey, yes — a metaphoric journey, absolutely. Not lessons of the mind, but spiritual lessons, written on the heart.

Sacajawea the movie LLC In 2013, I had an experience that literally changed my life. At the time, I was on an intense spiritual journey, tearing down the walls and barriers I had carried from my life, pouring out and filling up with things that required Belief. Not belief in an idea, but Spirit-driven belief in what I did not fully understand.

This particular afternoon I was walking back from the mailbox, thinking what a beautiful day… when I had a strange sensation. Yes, I was walking, but I was seeing “me” from above me. I saw my facial expressions, my movements, my physical self, walking along… I saw what others see. I saw something else, too, it was energy and light all around me — I could see inside, as if transparent. I recognized a deep longing to know Truth and Love in my life, and a revelation: I am so much more than the physical self.

From that time on, I began to be a “watcher” of my heart, assessing my thoughts and actions as a human being, inside and outside myself. I began to focus on changing the things that did not, and do not, move me toward Truth. Even now, sometimes it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s bad, right and wrong. I make mistakes… But the answers are already written and revealed through belief. It takes courage to be a watcher, for we must squarely face what we see.

Over the last 14 years, Sacajawea has become a vital part of my walk. She has shown me many things in my life (even before I knew), she has given me words and kept me going when the path became hard on the journey. She has never made it easy for me because she understands the magical purpose of darkness and how it reveals the more-powerful light. It is a light we must choose to embrace.

As a Native American, Sacajawea understood the power of intuition, she respected her Oneness with all things and the earth, and she was the watcher of her own heart — she was wise, brave and a visionary. Sacajawea, The Windcatcher, has traveled far to reach us. It is part of the world’s enlightenment, and the change we seek — a deep longing for Truth and Love. Let us wake up our spirits, let us prepare, and let us be ready to listen to the messages from the ages.

ONWARD, we have no fear.

Jane