Help Us Film Dean and Mervin’s Stories

Fundraiser for “Voices of Pyramid Lake: Oral Histories with Dean and Mervin”

We’re raising £1,000 to support the filming of oral history interviews with Dean Barlese and former tribal chairman Mervin Wright —to take place this summer in Nixon, Nevada.

Dean and Mervin would like to share stories that haven’t been recorded before. What they choose to speak about will be entirely up to them. It may be personal history, cultural memory, political experience, or reflections on the present. 

The project is in partnership with Locke Knight, a Pyramid Lake Paiute videographer who brings both technical skill and cultural sensitivity. This work will also be part of a larger project Locke is working on to capture, preserve and share indigenous wisdom.  All material will remain under Dean and Mervin’s control.

This is one of three Healing Center priorities this year:

• Supporting Dean’s health and mobility
• Continuing the community garden
• Beginning to record and share stories Dean would like to pass on

We already have some funds in place. All contributions towards £1,000 will help us carry it out well, and make space for it to grow.

Why This Matters

Dean has often spoken about how little is recorded that reflects Paiute stories in their own words. Mervin has shared how traditional knowledge is often left out of public life. This project is a step toward preserving some of what’s at risk of being lost, not through interpretation, but directly through the voices of our elders.

What Your Contribution Supports

• Filming and photography by a local Indigenous professional
• Editing and preparation of materials for sharing

All of the material may be shared through the Healing Center’s YouTube channel, and used in future educational or cultural settings.

Donate here

📧 Questions or other offers of support: steve@pyramidlakehealing.org

Thank you for helping us make this possible—on their terms, and in their time.