Video/Media

“STRONGER TOGETHER” is a special documentary short directed by filmmaker Scott Soens and produced by Ely Key and Up Mountain Switchel, the film documents Up Mountain Switchel’s work with the Stronghold Society building skate parks, cultivating leadership development, and creating art programs on Native American reservations.

Through this new partnership, a portion of every purchase of an Up Mountain Switchel beverage directly supports skate parks, art programs, and real impact.

“As a company that is founded upon a heritage recipe that goes back hundreds of years, it is really important to us to be able to honor indigenous communities,” says Up Mountain Switchel Founder Ely Key. “We are beyond thrilled to support the Stronghold Society in creating leaders of the future within Native and non-Native communities who are able to share the power of indigenous knowledge to inspire strength of mind, body and spirit.”
The launch of the official partnership between the two organizations is catalyzed by this release of Up Mountain Switchel’s documentary short on the innovative partnership created by Scott Soens, a highly regarded cinematographer, photographer & director for the surf industry who shoots for Patagonia and other industry leaders.

Up Mountain Switchel: https://drinkswitchel.com/
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You. Us. Stronghold. Together.
Song: Smillin
Artist: Northern Cree

Levi’s Skateboarding proudly presents: ‘Skateboarding In Pine Ridge’, a documentary directed by Greg Hunt chronicling the skatepark build at Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Pine Ridge is largely reported in the media as an impoverished community with a drug and alcohol epidemic and teen suicide rates seven to ten times greater than the National average. When the Levi’s team visited the reservation, they saw a community transformed. They found a generation inspired – a group of people championing each other through their collective actions.

LEVI’S Skateboarding, Imprint Projects, Farm League, Stronghold Society, Wounded Knee Skateboards, Jeff Ament and Vitalogy Foundation, Monk and Grindline Skateparks, Indy Trucks, Bones Wheels, Bryce Kanights & Triple Eight Helmets, BC Surf and Sport, Square State Skate, Satellite Board Shop, Garfield Steele, Wounded Knee District School, Alice Phelps and Stacy Phelps, Conscious Alliance, Larry Pourier, Rob Lawrence, Pine Ridge Batch Plant, Oglala Lakota Country, our Lakota Skate Culture Youth …. best days ever.

 

 

Thanks to Dre Tzortzis, Leon Roker, Danny Lee, Jay Hanna, and Wounded Knee Skateboards and everyone else who made this possible. This is a touching and beautifully told story of what took place and what is to come for Lakota Country and Native America…. building skateparks for our youth. Please share and help us gain more support. We thank you with all our hearts.

 

Jeff Ament VANS Pass The Bucket Episode premiere!!!! and the WK4-Directions Skatepark of the Stronghold Society… prepare to be moved!! Thank you Jeff, thanks Chris Overholser, Luke Korver, Steve Vandoren and VANS… this is a beautiful story. The Stronghold Society and the Lakota Community is so honored with this production, true heart and soul of Jeff Ament made this whole thing possible. Special thanks to all the Pine Ridge Park supporters, and Jeff Ament and Montana Pool Service, Jim Murphy and Wounded Knee Skateboards, Walt Pourier and the Stronghold Society, Mark Hubbard and Grindline Skateparks, Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation, The Tony Hawk Foundation / Ben Harper / Chris Sacca, The Eagle Bull Family and VANS Off The Wall. VANS PASS THE BUCKET… you rocked it!!

 

CHECK IT!!!!!! Stronghold Society and Conscious Alliance teamed up with the all-vocal hip-hop group Urban Method to create a movement through the power of music and collaboration. Under the direction of Urban Method—who is currently competing on NBC’s singing competition show The Sing Off — native and non-native youth joined forces to share in our ‘Live Life Call To Action’ message through music. The collaborative mission was to inspire confidence, creativity, hope, and ambition for the young generation. Over a dozen youth joined us for this special day to create a song with the Stronghold Society’s message ‘You Thrive, I Thrive, WE Thrive.” Check out their inspiring work and please, share this powerful message… it ROCKS!!

 

Our Stronghold Society work has been featured on…
– Ramp It Up Skateboard Culture in Native America – Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian
– Smithsonian TV’s “SKATE NATION”
– Oprah Winfrey Network OWN Our America with Lisa Ling “Life on the Rez”
– VANS “Pass The Bucket” with Jeff Ament
– NATIVE AMERICA CALLING “The Heartbeat of Native Skate Parks”
– Fuel TV “Concrete Powwow”
– Rocky Mountain PBS “Urban REZ”
– RED Bulletin Magazine Fall 2012 and Documentary (which received over a 100,000 views on Youtube)
– L’Equipe Sports Magazine Fall 2012
– Westword Magazine Denver Colorado Summer 2012
– Lakota Country Times 2011/2012
– Indian Country Today
– Native News Today
– JUICE Magazine
– Native Peoples Magazine
– TransWorld Skateboarding Magazine
– TIME Magazine
– VICE Online
– Denver Business Journal
– Native Sun News