Myron Dewey
Native American filmmaker and journalist (1972–2021)
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Myron Charles Dewey (16 July 1972 – 26 September 2021) was a filmmaker and journalist from the Walker River Paiute Tribe.
Myron Dewey | |
|---|---|
| Ahu-auh-bud-shoe-knaw-me | |
| |
| Born | July 16, 1972 |
| Died | September 26, 2021 (aged 49) Near Yomba Nye County, Nevada |
| Citizenship | Walker River Paiute Tribe |
| Alma mater | Haskell Indian Nations University, University of Kansas |
| Occupations | Filmmaker, citizen journalist, academic |
| Employer(s) | Duke University and Northwest Indian College |
| Notable work | Awake: A Dream From Standing Rock (2017 documentary, co-director) |
| Spouse | Deborah Parker |
Dewey was noted for reporting on issues at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation especially for co-directing the 2017 documentary Awake: A Dream From Standing Rock.
Early life
Dewey was born on 16 July 1972, to parents Herbert Dini Jr. of Schurz, Nevada and Cynthia Dewey of Bishop, California.[1] A member of the Walker River Paiute Tribe,[2] his Indigenous name was Ahu-auh-bud-shoe-knaw-me.[1]
He attended Gabbs K-12 School and studied computer systems and business information at Haskell Indian Nations University, graduating with a degrees in each in 2002 and 2003. He later attended the University of Kansas and graduated with a master's degree in Indigenous nation studies in 2007.[1]
Career
Dewey was employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs' as a firefighter working for their Western Nevada One team in Carson City before joining their Black Mountain Hotshot Crew working in the Western United States.[1] He founded Digital Smoke Signals online news service.[1][3] Later, he worked as an academic, teaching film-making at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies and at Northwest Indian College in Washington state.[4]
In 2016, Dewey filmed the protests at the Dakota Access Pipeline and was a co-director of the documentary Awake: A Dream From Standing Rock working with Josh Fox and James Spione.[4][5] While gathering footage, his use of drone filming attracted accusations of criminality form authorities, later dismissed.[6] In 2017 he won an award at the New York City Drone Film Festival in the category of News/Documentary for his work filming police at the protest site.[7]
In 2018, he won an Award of Merit from the University of Kansas Department of Film & Media Studies.[7]
Personal life and death
Dewey lived in Schurz, Nevada, in the Walker River Paiute Reservation. He lived with his wife Deborah Parker, their five children, and his one nephew.[4]
Dewey died near Yomba,[8] Nye County[9] two to three hours[10] after a car crash on 26 September 2021, aged 49.[4] Dewey had been returning from broadcasting at the Fallon bombing range in Nevada when he died.[8]
On June 6, 2023, John Walsh of Nevada was sentenced to 30 days in jail after pleading guilty to vehicular manslaughter.[11]
