We all have stories of when and how we came to be, what we have done, who we have loved, and what pursuits we could not foresee.

You may recognize his face from a movie long past, as did I this day, as I searched for direction, in search of sleep that did not last.

William Sampson Jr. was a a full-blooded Muscogee-Creek Indian, a painter first and foremost (his own words) and went on to become an actor and activist for his people. His first accredited acting role was in the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The story of how he came upon this role is quite remarkable as told in the above video.

His stories are told during a road trip to visit his Hitchita, Oklahoma burial ground. The tempo and simple narrative pulled me in and sat me down as the whole of his 53 years of life is revealed.

❤