I drove to Tulsa, Oklahoma to photograph Heidi BigKnife for AARP, and what started as an assignment quickly turned into a friendship.

Heidi welcomed me into her adorable pink home, introduced me to her puppy, and shared stories about her life, her work, and her Shawnee heritage. She was commissioned to create a contemporary dush-toh, a traditional Shawnee hair ornament now represented in a museum collection.

One of my favorite parts of photography is meeting people I never would have crossed paths with otherwise. Behind every artifact, every object, every museum piece, is a human story. Heidi reminded me that those stories are always the most valuable part.

Thank you, Heidi, for your generosity, your talent, and a day I’ll never forget.