I am not a professional video editor or filmmaker and I treat video essays as a hobby because I know that if I turn it into a job, I'll hate it. And I'd rather love doing it.
I would also love to see more Native American / First Nations / Indigenous people making content on Youtube, tiktok, etc and any help or advice that I can provide, I will.
If you like to analyze and talk about media and would need footage, OBS is free to use and REALLY useful. https://obsproject.com/
If you need video editing software, Da Vinci Resolve is free to use and tutorials exist online: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve
If you want a simpler and easy to use free video editor, Clip Champ suffices nicely: https://clipchamp.com/en/
You can get a decent microphone for like $20 on Amazon. I use this one:
You can find ring lights and the usual "video content creating kits" in pretty much any electronics department in grocery stores, department stores, Best Buy, etc.
And while you ---CAN--- save up some money for a camera, more often than not your phone will suffice.
Most important of all, your early works may be rough and choppy, but the important thing is to just BEGIN. Start making things. Watch your work evolve as you keep creating, keep talking, and putting yourself and your work out there.
Go forth and be glorious. Colonizers don't want us at the table. Bring your chair and sit there anyways. Take up space. DEMAND your voice be heard. Do it for yourself, do it because you love your people and your community.
