Before Borders

Twist Gallery and Dreams Tree Community Investments and photography by Ryan Bolton and Yuma Dean Hester!

With no fixed itinerary, we traveled north through Northern Alberta into the Rockies. We then ventured into the Yukon and the Northwest Territories in pursuit of the Northern Lights. What began as a road trip became an exercise in listening and being present.

Along the way, we met with Elders, Chiefs, and storytellers whose histories are inseparable from the land. Conversations about memory, responsibility, and continuity — reminders that these landscapes are not empty expanses, but living territories shaped by generations of knowledge and care.

Before Borders reflects on what it means to cross provincial lines while recognizing deeper, enduring boundaries that predate them. The work considers travel not as an escape, but as an exchange — guided by those who have called this land home since time immemorial.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Twist Gallery