Children of the Setting Sun Productions

What Children of the Setting Sun Productions does

Children of the Setting Sun Productions, now operating as Setting Sun Circle following a 2026 rebrand, is a Bellingham, Washington-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that produces documentary films, podcasts, and educational resources centering Indigenous stories of the Pacific Northwest, with a thematic focus on salmon restoration, treaty rights, and cultural preservation. The organization's core technology stack consists of standard digital media production tools (documentary filmmaking, audio podcasting) layered over a Mukurtu CMS-based Digital Heritage Library containing 183+ items accessible to educators, students, researchers, and the general public. Its product portfolio spans feature documentaries ("The River Remembers," "Salmon People," "Westshore," "Story Pole Film"), podcast series ("Young & Indigenous," "PLANTS"), aligned curricula (13 Moons, Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw teaching guide), and community programs (Netse Mot gathering, Tribal Approaches to Wellness series, Coast Salish Living Mural), distributed via PBS broadcast partnerships, YouTube, a digital library platform, and a touring film festival circuit.

The organization is led by founder and Executive Director Darrell Hillaire, former Chairman of the Lummi Nation, alongside a small senior creative team including director Jordan Riber (whose prior work includes three Netflix titles and four globally festival-selected films) and writer/producer Noelani Auguston (MFA, Institute of American Indian Arts). It serves three primary customer segments: Indigenous tribal communities across at least nine nations (Lummi, Yurok, Lower Elwha Klallam, Karuk, Swinomish, Stillaguamish, Nooksack, Sauk-Suiattle, Samish); K-12 and university educators seeking OSPI-aligned Indigenous curricula; and the general public reached through public media distribution. Revenue is generated entirely through donations, charitable contributions, and grants — including a documented SAMHSA Native Connections grant and a $25,000 ArtsFund/Paul G. Allen Family Foundation award in 2023 — with no commercial pricing, subscription, or licensing model in place.

Name

Children of the Setting Sun Productions

Legal name

Setting Sun Circle

Website

https://settingsunproductions.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Children of the Setting Sun Productions (now Setting Sun Circle) is a Bellingham, WA-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces documentary films, podcasts, and educational resources on Indigenous cultural preservation, salmon restoration, and treaty rights for Pacific Northwest tribal nations, educators, and the general public, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Indigenous Documentary Media Production

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Indigenous documentary films
• Digital heritage archiving
• Tribal community education
• Cultural preservation media
• Salmon restoration storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying on donations from individuals, foundations, and supporters to fund film production, community programs, and operations.
2. Grant Funding: Receives grant funding from organizations such as SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) for specific programs like the Native Connections grant.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Children of the Setting Sun Productions is an Indigenous-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit that creates and distributes documentary films, podcasts, educational curricula, and digital media focused on Native voices, cultural preservation, and salmon restoration. Its offerings include the Digital Heritage Library (Mukurtu-based), the Young & Indigenous and PLANTS podcast series, the "13 Moons Curriculum," and feature films such as "The River Remembers," distributed via PBS, YouTube, film festivals, and direct community screenings for tribal communities, educators, students, and the general public.

Product overview

Children of the Setting Sun Productions (now Setting Sun Circle) is an Indigenous-led nonprofit media organization producing documentary films, educational resources, podcasts, and community programs. The organization operates the Digital Heritage Library (Setting Sun Institute Library), a Mukurtu-based digital platform for preserving and sharing Indigenous media. Its core film portfolio includes "The River Remembers" documentary about dam removal, the "Salmon People" film series with teaching guides, "Westshore" canoe journey documentary, and "Story Pole Film." The organization produces the "Young & Indigenous" (YAI) and "PLANTS" podcast series, the "13 Moons Curriculum" educational platform developed with Swinomish Tribe, and the "Tribal Approaches to Wellness" documentary series. These products collectively support the organization's mission to amplify Native voices through storytelling, education, and research. The physical Setting Sun Circle space serves as a community hub for these programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The River Remembers A feature-length documentary following Tribal members of the Elwha and lower Klamath Rivers during the largest dam removals in U.S. history, documenting salmon restoration and cultural renewal. Anchored in the experiences of Vanessa Castle and Frankie and Molli Meyers, and distributed via PBS, YouTube, film festival circuit, and the Host a Screening Program serving schools, tribal communities, and the general public.
• Digital Heritage Library (Setting Sun Institute Library) A centralized digital heritage repository preserving and sharing media produced by the organization, connecting educators, students, researchers, and changemakers with Indigenous stories. Built on the Mukurtu content management system and hosting 183+ digital heritage items spanning multiple tribal nations and cultural topics.
• Westshore A short documentary following the Westshore Canoe Family as they journey through ancestral waters on the 2023 Paddle to Muckleshoot, celebrating Coast Salish culture and Tribal Journeys. Distributed via YouTube and the Digital Heritage Library for the general public and tribal communities.
• Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life Teaching Guide A 60-page instructional teaching guide for middle and high school teachers to understand and teach the Salmon People documentary, aligned with Washington OSPI curriculum standards and available through the Digital Heritage Library.
• Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life KPFA Radio Interview A 19-minute 27-second radio interview on KPFA Community Powered Radio featuring filmmaker Beth Pielert and founder Darrell Hillaire discussing the Salmon People feature film.
• Young & Indigenous Podcast (YAI) A podcast series featuring Indigenous youth voices sharing stories about culture, identity, language, canoe journeys, wellness, and Indigenous knowledge. Includes episodes on Salmon People stories, cultural arts, and community healing.
• PLANTS Podcast Series A podcast series exploring traditional plant medicine, first foods, seed keeping, and Indigenous botanical knowledge. Features guests from various Indigenous communities discussing plants as sovereignty and cultural wellness.
• 13 Moons Curriculum An informal Indigenous educational platform developed with the Swinomish Tribe for teaching science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) to the community through seasonal teachings corresponding to 13 lunar months.
• Tribal Approaches to Wellness A 2022 documentary film series created by Children of the Setting Sun Productions highlighting wellness practices across Tribal communities including Stillaguamish, Samish, Sauk-Suiattle, and Swinomish tribes, made in collaboration with North Sound ACH.
• Netse Mot (One People Gathering) A community gathering focused on education and cultural exchange as part of Setting Sun Circle's mission to Create, Share, and Educate to influence academia, activism, and policy development.
• Story Pole Film A documentary film about the Story Pole, a ceremonial totem pole originally carved by Samuel Cagey Jr. and being completed by Jason LaClair, a Coast Salish artist. Featured on PBS.
• The Downwinder A documentary film project under the organization's film portfolio.
• Coast Salish Mural (Living Mural) A public art installation/mural project celebrating Coast Salish culture and heritage.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6,000 students reached through film screenings
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Sound ACHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborator on the Tribal Approaches to Wellness documentary film series, creating content highlighting fishing culture and wellness practices for Stillaguamish, Sauk-Suiattle, and other tribes.
• PBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBS broadcast partnership for documentary films including 'Our Sacred Obligation' and the Salmon People film series. CSSP films are featured on PBS reaching national audiences.
• YouTubecoreTechnology or IntegrationYouTube platform partnership for direct-to-consumer distribution of films including West Shore Canoe Journeys and other documentary content.
• Lummi NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding tribal partner and collaborator on multiple documentary projects including the Salmon People film series and canoe journey documentation. Darrell Hillaire, founder of CSSP, is a former Chairman of Lummi Nation.
• Lower Elwha Klallam TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary subject community for 'The River Remembers' documentary documenting dam removal on the Elwha River and salmon restoration efforts.
• Yurok TribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubject community for 'The River Remembers' documentary focusing on the Klamath River dam removal campaign and salmon people stories.
• KPFA Community Powered RadiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkeley-based community radio partner for radio interviews and audio content distribution including the Salmon People KPFA Radio Interview.
• RE SourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation nonprofit collaboration on the PLANTS podcast episode about old growth forest solutions and environmental policy.
• Whiteswan EnvironmentalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit collaborator on the PLANTS podcast episode, supporting community healing through natural, cultural, and historical restoration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Mukurtu CMS: Open-source content management platform purpose-built for Indigenous digital heritage. CSSP's Digital Heritage Library is built on Mukurtu, making it the underlying infrastructure peer for archival and culturally-attributed media.
• American Indian Film Festival: Festival ecosystem where CSSP's 'The River Remembers' achieved official selection. Comparable as a curatorial and distribution channel for Indigenous cinema rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• ITVS (Independent Television Service): Major funder and distributor of independent documentary films for public television. Comparable as an institutional partner in bringing underrepresented stories to PBS audiences, though operating at a much larger scale and broader thematic scope.
• PBS Kids: PBS's children's programming arm. Comparable as a distribution channel for educational Indigenous content to K-12 audiences, though not a content producer.
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: Large-scale federally affiliated institution producing Indigenous-curated media, exhibitions, and educational resources. Comparable in mission to amplify Native voices, though orders of magnitude larger in budget and institutional reach.

Direct peers

• Vision Maker Media: Native-led public media organization that supports Indigenous filmmaking and distributes content through PBS. Directly comparable as a nonprofit producer and distributor of Indigenous documentaries serving tribal communities and educators.
• StoryCorps: Nonprofit oral history and storytelling organization that records, preserves, and shares community stories through audio. Comparable as a nonprofit media organization using storytelling to preserve underrepresented cultural voices, with similar podcast and digital archive distribution.

Regional players

• First Nations Film and Video Festival: Indigenous film festival circuit peer focused on Native American media. Comparable as a venue and amplification channel for CSSP's documentary slate, though operating as a festival rather than a producer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChildrenSSP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children-of-the-setting-sun-productions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Children of the Setting Sun Productions