CHRISTOPHER FRANCISCO

Christopher Franscisco was born in Shiprock, New Mexico in November, 1961. Like many reservation children over the past 150 years, Chris was removed from his family at the age of five and placed in a governement boarding school where his "kill the Indian, save the man"  assimilation into the dominant white society began. There, he was given a Christian name, assigned a census number, taught to speak English (and punished if caught speaking his native Dinè language) and was indoctrinated into a religion that was chosen for him based solely on the need to fill a quota.


                                                   Chris, in blue shirt, with his siblings       

                                                              As a teenager

With a purpose of heart, born of a spiritual reawakening and a deep love of his Native people, Chris enrolled at Portland State University (Oregon) in the Winter quarter of 2003. With a great desire to bring awareness of Native American issues and struggles to the forefront of the mainstream populace, Chris began his studies in filmaking, screenwriting, photography and video production. In the Fall of 2006, Chris was selected to participate in a student exchange program with Hunter College (New York City) where he continued his studies in Advanced Documentary Editing, Film Production, Directing Actors and Advanced Photography.  Two of Chris' black and white photographs were chosen to be displayed at the annual Black and White Student Art Exhibition March 5-12. 2007 at the Hunter College Gallery in New York City, where his work was very well received.


                                                       At a Navajo hogan