Crisosto Apache, from the Mescalero Apache tribe of New Mexico, is an activist for LGBT rights in the Native community. He explains that there is no word for "gay" in any Native American language, but is referred to as being "two spirited." © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
A flag waves outside the Wounded Knee Holocaust Museum on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The Wounded Knee Massacre was one of the biggest tragedies in Native American history which it was triggered by Chief Sitting Bull’s death. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Elijah Batiste, 14, is a young Lakota boy from Pine Ridge pursuing his dream of becoming a professional skateboarder. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Two boys that form the band “American Eyes”. They are from Oklahoma City and travel around reservations performing covers of AC/DC. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
The school sign of a high school on the Wind River Indian Reservation. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Sage in the Colorado river. Sage Honga, 22, of the Hualapai tribe, earned the title of Miss Native American USA in 2012. Since then, she has been encouraging Native youth to travel off the reservation to explore opportunities. Sage is photographed at a sacred site of the Hualapai people: the Grand Canyon. She wears a hand-made dress and natural make-up on her face, traditionally used by the Hualapai. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Dancers take a break in between songs and United Nation Powwow in Bismarck, North Dakota. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Monument Valley in Navajo Nation. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Fast Eddie (left), a pow wow dancer, is pictured with social media celebrity, Two Braids. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Jarrod after the rodeo. Jarrod Ferris, Eastern Shoshone and Arapaho from the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, has been bull riding since age 6. He hopes to one day win the title as world champion so that he can buy his mom a new house. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Evereta and her Mustang. When Evereta Thinn, 30, entered college as the only Native American in her English 101 class, it was at that moment she realized that she needed to speak up and not be that stereotypical "shy" Indian who keeps to herself. She works as an administrator at the school district on the Navajo Nation and aspires to start a language and cultural immersion school for the Diné (Navajo) people. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
A trading post by Scenic, SD. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Ula and Tim Tyler. This Eastern Shoshone couple have been married for 54 years and experienced reservation life before there was electricity or running water. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Ishkoten Dougi. Ishkoten is an artist from the Isleta Pueblo Indian Reservation in New Mexico. He is portrayed in his studio, surrounded by his artwork that represents some of the atrocities inflicted on Native Americans. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Sheena in her bedroom. 23-year-old Danielle Finn (Sheena), from Bismarck, ND, is of the Hunkpapa Lakota tribe. Sheena runs in pageants as a way to represent herself and young women from her tribe. Currently, Sheena is studying law and aspires to become a tribal lawyer one day. Here, she is portrayed in her bedroom on her family's ranch, wearing traditional dress and accessories made by herself and her mother. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Maka in his classroom. After traveling the world and teaching English in Japan, Maka Clifford, from Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, realized his calling was going back to the Reservation to teach his own people and inspire young kids to explore life off the reservation. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
A decorative fence just outside Prairie Knights Casino, located on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Tipi on her family's land. Thípiziwin Young dedicates her life to learning and teaching the Lakota language, a language that has been vastly dying over the last generations. She helped by starting a language immersion program for pre-school aged children 3-5 years old. Other tribes and reservations are now seeking guidance from what she is doing so they can simulate something similar for their fading languages. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Julian with his son Elijah. Julian Ramirez, 27, is a single father who works at the local casino on the Standing Rock reservation. Shortly after the birth of his son, Elijah, his partner, left them. Long hair is a matter of pride among Indians. Julian has never cut his son's hair and says that Elijah will not be allowed to do so until he turns 13. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016
Mataya Harrison considered joining the military post-graduation and said, "being in the army would be cool. But being a Native American in the army would be even cooler”. © Carlotta Cardana. Finalist, LensCulture Portrait Awards 2016