Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr.
Steven R. Heape, a proud member of the Cherokee Nation. He was born in Long Beach, California on March 25, 1951.
His family eventually moved to Fullerton, where Steven graduated from Fullerton Union High School. Steven also attended Fullerton Junior College as a Business Administration Major, while working as a Major Account Representative for Armor Food Company.
His interest in motion picture production eventually led him to produce the film titled, "Location to Recovery," one of the first educational docudramas to be released from 16mm film to VHS videotape.
In 1994, Mr. Heape and business partner Chip Richie formed Rich-Heape
Films, Inc., certified by the Cherokee Nation to focus on the history and
preservation of the American Indian culture. Today, Rich-Heape Films is an internationally
recognized firm with several award-winning films to its credit.
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The American Indian Chamber of Commerce awarded it the 2003
American Indian Business of the Year.
In August, Mr. Heape was one of five Native American
filmmakers invited to participate in the strategic film and video content
planning for the new Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in
Washington, D.C. In March 2004, Mr. Heape began the most challenging project of his
career, producing a two-hour PBS documentary on the Indian Removal Act of 1830, better known as the Cherokee Trail of Tears scheduled for release in 2005.
On September 12, Mr. Heape is being recognized by
the Little Eagle Free Foundation for his contribution and philanthropy in
preserving the languages, history, and cultures of Native Americans.
It is only fitting that Mr. Heape is to be commended for his
extraordinary efforts to document and preserve Native American culture and the
part played in American History.
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