Guardians of Life: Launch at Powell’s Books
Wednesday, February 25 | 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Join Braided River, Powell’s Books, and National Geographic Explorer and photographer Kiliii Yüyan for an inspiring evening of connection and community.
This event features Yüyan’s powerful new Braided River title, Guardians of Life: Indigenous Science, Indigenous Wisdom, and Restoring the Planet, a stunning volume powered by the collective wisdom of over two dozen Indigenous voices. Witness profound stewardship in action, from Mongolia’s sacred peaks to Palau’s coral reefs, in an author talk you won’t want to miss.
Event Speaker:
Photographer and National Geographic Explorer Kiliii Yüyan (Author and Photographer) brings to life stories from the Arctic sea ice, beneath the waves, and within the heart of human communities. Of Chinese and Nanai/Hèzhé (East Asian Indigenous) descent, he works through a cross-cultural lens, exploring how humanity—inseparable from the natural world—lives in relationship with land and sea.
Kiliii has spent years immersed in the polar regions, documenting Indigenous lifeways, marine ecosystems, and remote landscapes. His fieldwork is shaped by experience in the field: he has faced down a stalking polar bear, dived among sea snakes, and found connection and understanding among people often overlooked at the world’s edges. His photography and storytelling appear in National Geographic, TIME, Vogue, WIRED, and other major publications. He also builds traditional kayaks, maintaining a living link to his northern Indigenous heritage.
In 2023, Kiliii was honored with the Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling, one of National Geographic’s highest recognitions. His work has been recognized by Pictures of the Year, Leica Oscar-Barnack, PDN, and ASMP, and is held in museum collections across the U.S.
A dynamic speaker and storyteller, Kiliii has taken the stage at TEDx, toured with NatGeo Live, and now keynotes through Changemaker Talent, sharing the human stories behind his images. Based in Seattle, he is more commonly found beneath the sea or atop Arctic ice. kiliii.com