Episode 18: Kali Reis

On this episode of Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines we interview Professional Boxer and Actress, Kali Reis.

Kali “KO” Mequinonoag Reis (35) hails from East Providence RI, is a member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe & is the first Indigenous Woman fighter to become a World Champion. As a Professional Boxer, Reis has attained 6 World Titles in 2 weight classes & is currently the WBA IBO & WBO Super Lightweight World Champion and is on the “Road to Undisputed”. Kali made history when she participated in HBOs’ first ever Women’s televised in 2018. She uses her boxing platform to spread awareness on various issues such as the MMIW (Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women).

Living up to her given name Mequinonoag [Many Feathers/Many Talents], Kali is a certified Motorcycle/Small Engines Technician and has worked as a Residential Counselor since 2009. She has found healing in sharing her story & mentoring troubled youth with a relatable approach, as well as traveling to speak with and support various communities in hopes of being a positive example to “Never throw in the towel no matter what punches life throws at you”. 

In 2021, Kali made her acting debut with the lead role in the film ‘Catch the Fair One', in which she also received a writer’s credit. This film highlights the MMIW epidemic & earned a Special Jury Mention award at the Tribeca film festival.  Recently, an Indie Film Spirit Award nominee for Best Female Lead Actress was announced for Reis’ performance. 

This mixed Cape Verdean/Native American has a “Voice for the Voiceless”.

Follow Kali on Instagram and Twitter

This episode of Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines was produced by Viktor Maco, Spirit Buffalo and J.B. Hart. Edited by Abbey Franz. Research by Sarah Rose Harper.

Hosted by LeAndra Nephin.

This season of Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines is produced with support from Earth Rising Foundation, our Patreon producers, Reena Krishnan,  Kathy Duerr, Brenda George and Ervin Green .

Additional support from our patrons at Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee.

Would you like to be a guest on Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines, or know someone who would, drop us a line at  redhousetvseries@gmail.com.

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Transcript

Kali Reis  00:01

I've gotten suicide letters. I've gotten letters from parents from kids who are mixed with black and and First Nations in Canada, who are very, very in these racist situations because of their mix, but have a whole different perspective because they fought me. They see me fight on HBO and come out with with dancers, and now they're proud of it. Yes, she's black too. That's cool. So it's just it. That to me is is I know that's my purpose, just to be an example because I didn't have that and we don't have that many examples. So if I'm here and I'm able to do it, I I'll take that versus any belts and $30 million payday any, any day.

LeAndra Nephin  00:51

Welcome to another episode of not invisible native peoples on the front lines. I'm your host, Leandra Neff, and I'm excited to announce today's guest. She is a professional boxer with six world titles in two weight classes. She is currently the WBA IBO and WB Oh super lightweight World Champion, and is on the road to undisputed and recently she made her acting debut with a lead role in the award winning film, catch the fair one. Kaylee, welcome to our virtual couch. So, so excited for this interview. I wondered if we could just start off and have you introduce yourself to our listeners who may not know a whole lot about your career and what you do. So could we just spend some time talking about that?

Kali Reis  01:40

Sure. Thank you so much for that while I just like to introduce myself in our language, when he Ki Suk or Tessa Lisa MacDonagh new Tomasi comm came up in a new Tomas network, Cherokee new Tomas Cape Verde Islands, the Thai Providence, Rhode Island. Hello, and greetings everyone. My given name is Mucuna nog, which as you said, means many fenders and many talents. I am a member of the Seekonk a whopping tribe, and also have lineage from the network knit monk in Cherokee tribes, as well as a rich lineage from the Cakebread islands is located off the west coast of Africa. I'm your current, as you said, WBA, IBO and web Oh, super lightweight world champion. I was part of the first women's flight on HBO back in 2018. And I, as you said, just made my recent acting debut and writing debut kind of thing for capsule ferroan. And it was released this year. I just want to say thank you so much for having me on this podcast. It's great to be able to speak with people and kind of let people know not just about me, but the communities and issues I represent, and kind of you know, bring visibility to the invisible, actually currently right now in Rhode Island. I reside now in South Philadelphia, but I just wanted to take the time to recognize the people of this land in Rhode Island so the Narragansett people on my sister tribe, I love my relatives, as well as my people Wampanoag Nation, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Shinnecock and other outlying nations. And I'm just happy to be here to share with you today. So to Brittany, thank you so much.

LeAndra Nephin  03:09

Oh, with the heart with the heart. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. So, Kaylee, I want to just basically take it back, you know, to get back to the beginning. How did you get involved with boxing and what? What's your story and what's your journey in terms of how you got to where you are now?

Kali Reis  03:25

Well, I come from not a boxing family. I come from one of five kids and the baby the young one, the last one, the crazy one, but I have two brothers and two sisters. I grew up in East Providence, Rhode Island. Everybody did something artistic, especially musically. So I come from a very musically inclined family. And as I mentioned, I'm from the Seekonk a Wampanoag people but Wampanoag is really, really big nation we have about eight or nine different bands, clans are different families and Seekonk actually means black goose and is more based around Seekonk, Massachusetts, you know, being from the nice northeast woodland tribes being first contact people, it's crazy because with the first contact, people will always get looked at kind of not at all or not enough or not recognized. So coming from that first contact in the history of my people on this side, you know, we were almost wiped out so also being Cape Verdean and mixed black and native being from around this area where I didn't grow up on a typical native style reservation. It's very, very different. Everywhere. Every community is different, but um, it was tough growing up coming from a background where I was Cape Verdean, black and I'm Native, and I'm what you would call like, almost like a first generation woman on my side on the sea count Wampanoag people that grew up in culture relearning, so we learning I'm not saying, learning because I know my soul. My Spirit knows where we come from. But my mom, my grandmother and great grandmother, weren't even allowed to say they were Indian, you know. So this kind of perspective that I grew up in with my mom relearning and just from a child, but not really being totally surrounded by the Native community. The it was tough being, you know, to spirits struggle with sexual identity as a young kid, but also, my mom was a Christian. So it was just, it was hella confusing, just to try to find my way and just be, you know, as a kid, we always try to find a way but very sporty, I played softball, basketball, and I wanted to do absolutely everything. My brother's boxing wasn't really on the agenda. I always liked watching it. And I was always very sporty, but I didn't have a brother or a father or anybody that was in it. So it kind of just attracted me a little bit to it. I went through some things as a kid, I grew up in a neighborhood that wasn't great. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. So the outside influences of the neighborhood kind of got the best of me and my mother and father divorced when I was really young. And he was in and out. He was there for a little bit. And then he would see him for a couple of years. So, you know, I was the token native kid around around here. And you know, people used to ask me all kinds of crazy questions. But fast forward to about age 1112 The neighborhood I was growing up in, I got taken advantage of by a kid in the neighborhood that I thought I could trust. And that was kind of the tip of the iceberg for me where I was trying to find an outlet and love sports. But being that I was around a neighborhood that there was drugs and alcohol use. Immediately I went right to that route. I started smoking weed when I was 11. tried selling it. I was a terrible drug dealer. And then I started drinking around age 12. Just to kind of forget, you know, that's what people were doing and I didn't have anybody to really talk to so that's where I turned to. Around the same age though. I got wind that one of my mom's friends Domingo tall dog was used to be a boxer. He's a law firm jewelry maker. So powwow season I used to bug him at a stand every time I had no time in between competition to make room on average, your boxers show me some things, but he kind of blew me off. I was like, yeah, yeah, whatever. Kind of like girls don't do this kind of thing. But myself and my mom finally convinced him to kind of show me some things came by the house, hung up a heavy bag and kind of to kind of shut me up. But I was hooked immediately. And my father actually came back into my life. And he heard I want to box and he had some relatives on his side of the family by the name of Orlando valves that was training his daughter in kickboxing and boxing. And the first day I walked into Peterman Fadell gym of buttock at Rhode Island, immediately, you know, ptomaine, Fredo senior, he's like, you don't want to do this, you know, you want to be at the beach or whatever. But I'm the type of person that as soon as somebody tells me, I can't do something, I'm going to do it, whether it's good. I turned pro in 2008. And my journey as a boxer has been up, down and all around, if you look at my record, in the years, I've been involved almost 14 years now in September, it's not your typical, you know, I had a promoter and manager and the whole team, I have had to, again, fight claw and scratch my way up to where I am now. But I look back on not just my boxing career, where I am now just my life in general. And it's so I wouldn't change anything. But I've learned to kind of take those lessons and be thankful for what I've gone through the fact that I'm still here to kind of just be an example, not just for Native youth or youth in general, for especially for our elders. Now, you know, with everything going on storytelling, and for example, residential school survivors, they were told that they couldn't tell their stories, it just just didn't want to tell their stories for so long that I've found healing and kind of just sharing my story, which is really odd, because being vulnerable is so so scary. It's terrifying, but so isn't fighting in front of 1.4 million people. So I just just kind of started following kind of my path, and it was put in front of me, how I began boxing was for an outlet, but what did it what it means to me, and not just me now fighting for all nations, and every punch is a prayer box and became my medicine. And you know, no one can tell you what your medicine is, no one can tell you how to pray. I just took this creative given talent that I have kind of turned it into something energetically to pray for my people to represent to be a voice for the voiceless. And just using the platform, I have to bring awareness to these things because we know what goes on in native country as Native people, but the general population doesn't. So I'm here now I might as well use my voice. And it's been um, it's been a fun journey. I've had ups and downs I've missed birthdays, holidays, weddings, deaths, funerals, graduations, but I also have been able to see the world and hear different stories from native peoples and kind of understand why I'm even doing this because, you know, it's great to punch people in the face and get paid for it. But once you find a purpose outside yourself or something you love to do. It's been I've been blessed to do to do that. So that's my very long winded answer to your question.

LeAndra Nephin  09:41

You've actually touched on a lot of themes there. And, you know, particularly for me, I guess, as a therapist, you know, I've always have this kind of interest in terms of therapeutic boxing, you know, because I see boxing as a very kind of useful outlet to channel you know, anger, rage and In stress relief, and actually can be so healing for so many people. And it was really kind of beautiful, the way that you've expressed that in terms of how boxing became your medicine, how boxing became your ceremony, and I think kind of Western society now is starting to kind of cottoned on to that understanding in terms of how just the simple act of even punching a punching bag is a release in terms of how that that even releases those endorphins and connects you to a space where you're able to calm those thoughts down, you know, those intrusive thoughts. And so what you're kind of talking about even in terms of how that how you channeled a lot of the the emotion that you were feeling, and it created a purpose for you. So in terms of your your purpose, and and how you see your life journey, what do you see your purpose being? Or do you do you see it as kind of an open road and open to anything?

Kali Reis  10:58

At this point, you know, I don't, because I can't, there's no ceiling on it. And I'm so diverse, that I really don't see just one dimensional purpose is kind of, you know, learning on the job. And if I, you know, I'm very goal oriented, but sometimes you can get caught on the big dish, just the end goal that you missed the whole entire journey. So I've branched off into so many different paths from this. I'm from boxing boxing is, has been the foundation and the catalyst to kind of shoot me in different directions, but it kind of begin this purpose around 2015 or 14. I had had a really bad motorcycle accident on my birthday back in 2012. And it took me out of boxing for over a year and following that accident, I actually got assaulted by a Providence police officer at work my first day went back at work and it was one of those things where again, I was made to feel worthless. I was made to feel like I was wrong cop just came out of nowhere after the end of my work shift. I was you know, on very light duty. I had my knee brace on for my motorcycle accident and there was an altercation that happened, brought the patrons out and he very egotistically was like, I was telling someone, a co worker and he told him, give her some effing air and like we have, we're security we're bounces but we're security. We're paid licensed security and he said the same thing. And he shoved me out of the well he shoved my coworker was another female out of the way. And I got up I was like whoa what was going on and he started assaulting me he took his pepper sprayed point blank rage beat me to the ground put me in handcuffs sprayed me again with pepper sprayed pick me up with the handcuffs. He was telling me I was a dyke of this and that and threw me in the back of his paddy wagon. And I was like, What the hell just happened? Like, I didn't do anything. And he told my coworker who didn't see what happened. Oh, she needs to apologize to me and I let her go. And I'm like, I'm not gonna apologize to a man just assaulted me like, What do you mean, but I was made to apologize. I had apologized to this guy for like, assaulting me. And that happened a few months after my accident. So I after that I was I lost it. I moved to Connecticut, this sister tribal reservation up there and I was with somebody there and I just went to really, really dark time. And I know that part of my purpose is to kind of be in these situations and dig myself back out by myself and kind of show that you know, I've been there I've been maybe not exact situation. But I always say feelings don't have they're not prejudiced if I feel like I'm in a dark place because of what happened to me, but somebody feels like they're in a dark place because they feel the you know, an exam, that's still the same frequency. So how do you get yourself out of that no matter what we can compare stories and my story is not worse or better or more important than the other but that try to change that feeling is so important. So originally, I kind of saw my purpose as I'm just telling my story and showing where I have been being vulnerable. Like I'm not this superstar boxer that has things on a silver platter. I'm so much the latter. So if I can show people in myself that I can dig up and go here and maybe change the narrative maybe I thought my future looked like this, but now it looks like I'm gonna be in movies. It's kind of weird how things happen. So a friend of mine was helping me with marketing and this is after I came back from fighting I hadn't fight and I was just kind of getting back to the routine and she's she's from the Shinnecock nation she's like, what what do you fight for? I'm like, you know, you know why fight like you know, I fight for my people like, I know I like to fight and I'm good at it and it's an art to me that expresses it makes me feel good especially working out but she's like not not like she's trying to get it out of your body fight. Like you know, I fight for us man I fight for like, not just I try but like all the nations she's like, Why do you fight I'm like, Why fight for a nation she's like I feel there you go that's to fight for and it kind of build from there. And I always want to include my culture and the drums and stuff because hearing Powell drums does you know some tea soul. So I'm like, Alright, so if I have to go to Germany to fight it Still on some northern Creek, these people don't know what it is, but I do my people know, no matter where I am I can represent. So it just kind of branched from there. And then I started getting feedback from the very same people that used to tell me I was just a black girl trying to be Indian. So I'm gonna go, oh, that's our cause. That's our people. Thanks for representing our people. And even though I could have wrote on that, and probably been, you know, had the back and forth, the fact that they saw motivation and pride in me was like, I'm not going to touch what you did say just the fact that you're feeling motivated, and you feel worthy. And you feel important now, because you see another native doing something that nobody sees us, except for us. So everybody's seeing us through me. And that's just what my purpose has branched out into. And just to try to be that example of Yo, yeah, I've been there recovering alcohol, you name it probably been through it or worse, so not as bad and just hearing different people's stories, and they're trusting me to open up and I've gotten suicide letters. I've gotten letters from parents from kids, who are mixed with black in and First Nations in Canada, who are very, very in these racist situations because of their mix, but have a whole different perspective, because they fought me, they see me fight on HBO, and come out with, with dancers, and now they're proud of it. Yes, she's black, too. That's cool. So it's just it, that to me is, is I know, that's my purpose, just to be an example, because I didn't have that. And we don't have that many examples. So if I'm here, and I'm able to do it, I, I'll take that, versus any belts, and only million dollar payday any, any day, any day. So I believe that's my purpose. And hopefully, I'm a trailblazer for a bunch of other things, not just boxing, but for whatever we all can get into and just be proud of who value you are, and not live up to what everybody else thinks I should look like talk my background should be like. And also big theme for me personal growth is that I was so busy trying to fit in a box as a kid, I don't fit in a box, I'm a little star that can't fit in a square box, it does just doesn't go there. So I was so busy trying to mold myself to that box, I just make my own own thing. And I think that's so important nowadays. So

LeAndra Nephin  17:11

yeah, absolutely. And I think your story is just really absolutely inspiring, because one of the things that the themes that seem to come out of as you were talking was was out of adversity, you really are demonstrating a lot of strength in your capabilities, you know, resilience capabilities, you know, coming out of very difficult situations, and fighting your way back. I want to just ask a question, though, because you mentioned something, you know, in relation kind of when we first started this interview, you know, that your your mom was sort of reconnecting or relearning, but she was actually Christian as well. And do you identify as Two Spirit? How did you navigate that space in terms of finding your your balance in that,

Kali Reis  17:56

that was tough. That was tough with my mom, because, you know, very devoted, really religious but more or less, she's kind of in our own land now too, because I've watched her evolve from her beliefs and where she thought she needed to be, and tried that I watched her try to balance and struggle to balance her beliefs spiritually, and being Native, and the Christian because where she was going was so so religious. And then I'm like, about to go to like, social and like to a powwow like this is so confusing. So it was kind of listening to what, what really resonated with me, I develop this, I can't say hatred, because I really don't hate anything but this resentment towards the church because I felt like, I couldn't be me, I felt wrong. If I felt like I wanted to hang with a certain type of person, I felt these feelings in my body, I was started resenting what she believed in as far as the church because I was told that was wrong were as I have more freedom spiritually, with my culture, to kind of navigate through so it was, it was tough. I didn't have my mom to talk to you about these feelings, because I was so embarrassed of them. And I knew what she eventually told me I was an abomination to my face. That was tough, you know, coming out to her, but I had a lot of suppressed things as a kid with that. So I didn't immediately I didn't know Yeah, I'm to spirit. This is great. It was like, Man, I don't know what to do. I'm embarrassed kind of thing. It's not until maybe the last eight to 10 years that I've really understood myself because somebody being to spirit could mean something totally different to them. But kind of the baseline of it is what I've understood from Me, Myself personally, and from the Two Spirit community is you're just 100% comfortable in both. We all have both masculine and feminine energy. My issue what I was learning in this space was when I brought my masculine energy to a male in a relationship. It that was a threat. How I dressed was even worse, because I have my own style. Don't just I don't want to be a guy but I just have my own style. I don't. And I kind of started toying around with people's reaction when I dress this way. Okay, don't like that attention. And then I would dress another way. And I'm like, I feel comfortable, but I don't like your uncomfortableness. So it was a long trial and error, but always kind of reverting about what did well, how do I feel wearing this? Or how do I feel acting like this? How do I feel when I have this masculine aura, this feminine aura, I can't worry about what their how their reaction is. That's kind of what I what I've learned over time. And I just had a really suppress a lot I couldn't express much to my mom, I was so afraid of getting rejected, and told that what she did tell me that I'm an abomination. And I can't accept this. And I won't bless this I was at my previous relationship, I was engaged to a woman for five years. And it was tough with my mom, because she was so nice and wanted to support but she didn't want that because she was so stuck on this stigma in this religion. Eventually, she started becoming seeing that it was something that just made me happy, not sexually, it really doesn't sexually doesn't come to my brain. First, it's how do I feel with this person's energy, I've never really seen somebody identified as male or female, I obviously feel much more comfortable with females, because when I'm in my masculine, it's not so much of a threat. It's accepted a little bit more. And sometimes on the flip side, when I'm completely in feminine, it's almost like a threat. So it's like a, it's a bounce back and forth. So it's I'm still navigating it now as well, because this is like a curveball, because I'm married now. But I'm married to a man now. So I'm like, because my LGBTQ card is taken away here. Like, how is how does this work? Like, I don't know. So I'm still navigating it. But I know what helps me is knowing who exactly why I'm inside, whether that's identifying culturally or sexuality wise, or how I identify or feel it's allowing, having that space allowed with my partner now to be all of it and being okay, and exploring exploring it. And if it doesn't work for me now, because I'm somebody different than I was 10 years ago, it just doesn't work for me. You always got to kind of turn inward and how do you feel right now? How do you feel even though this person is trying to fight me, this grown man guy is trying to fight me because he's threatened by my masculine energy. And I didn't even do anything like how do you feel right now? So it's, um, it's a learning process. And always gotta turn back to yourself, though it was. It was really tough. Even around the neighborhood, not even just at home. It was like, you know, the jokes, the this the name call. And I mean, you could probably run the gamut with named calls the N word, the engine word, the dike word that like I've gotten called everything, because it just does so many different things. But I've had this grow this like, really tough skin, I guess.

LeAndra Nephin  22:40

Yeah. And I have to say, Kaylee, you're incredible reflection and self awareness is just absolutely refreshing, you know, in terms of kind of even just, I guess, in a sense, being present with what's here. And now. And I and part of me wonders, you know, was that something you learned in the boxing ring to just be present, let all of that kind of sit on the outside and be present here in this moment, because that's a real, you know, kind of talent, you know, that a lot of people really struggle with just staying present in the moment with what you have and kind of reflecting inward and being aware of self in that way.

Kali Reis  23:16

Yeah. I've always wanted to remain present. And I know boxing has been that one thing that you have got to be present, I don't care what's going to happen in round 10. This is round three, we have to do what's right in front of you right now. I have to hear my corner and react immediately. Boxing is so as you said therapeutic and so real. And it has a lot of parallels to real life. Because if I'm worried about that 10th round, but this is round number one, and I'm not paying attention and working off what life is giving me what my opponents giving me then you're going to miss something. I may be thinking one way and may not see what's right in front of me and get caught with a shot. But just like life, you might get hit blindsided from life because you're paying attention is one dimensional thing. So boxing is I always refer to everything back to boxing, even how long it takes me to drive somewhere. I'm like, I'm gonna take about five rounds. Okay, like it's so weird. Like I hear else. It's like, it's, it's so in my psyche now, but absolutely, yeah, you have to be so present. And now also with acting, I can go over the lines and think this is how this scene is gonna go. But until I'm sitting in that room with this other artists, this other actress or actor, things could go away left. And you know, I take improv all the time. And I love it because you just got to work with what's right in front of you. And boxing is a perfect example.

LeAndra Nephin  24:37

Yeah, speaking of which, how I guess the film that that we discussed catch the fair one. I'm actually looking forward to watching this. I know for our listeners, I know it's available on Amazon Prime and Google Play. I watched the trailer for it earlier today, and it's wrong. It just kind of blew my mind. It's intense. And I guess my question about those is how How did you get involved with that project? What drew you to that? How did you then start the transition from boxer to to actress and getting involved in film and film writing,

Kali Reis  25:09

it came, it came to me actually, again, I come from a very artistic background always was thrown into like little church plays doing little things or I mean, my mom had his jokes filled now to this day, I had this character that used to do when she came home from work. I was always some kind of little expressive Virgo. But oddly enough, the power of manifestation really works because I was getting this kind of like acting bug, maybe between 2016 17 I was like, I just want to get into acting, you know, looks like feel like, this is something I can do. And even my, my coach, I call my pop now he's told me from a young age, like 1415, you're gonna end up in movies one day, I'm like, Yeah, whatever. And he's like, No, boxing is just, you know, you're catalyst. You're talented. I'm like, okay, whatever. But I was sitting out in my porch one day, and I was like, you know, acting is meant for me, it'll find me, maybe I have to, you know, have a cameo in a commercial or something, I just didn't know where to start. I'm like, Alright, I gotta get like, I got just like boxing himself from the ground up a week to that day, Joseph Kubota Vladika us a little bit, my Instagram DM, and the rest is history, kind of that's, it's no like, magical thing. But I really put it out to the universe. And I was like, it was meant for me will find me and I let it go. I didn't even think about it. And then I got this inbox. And you can imagine, being a freshman athlete, I get on this director, I got this. I've gotten so dozens upon dozens about people that haven't this crazy project that never manifested into anything. But for whatever reason, Joseph checked out. He said he had this project that he was working on. It was about he was just learning about missing and murdered indigenous women, just like the general population, he started digging a little bit, because he had a feature film out already called mono socios. And it's about you know, it's about an important aspect of the whole drug world that people forget about, like the people who live in these countries that actually go through them really have the other biggest at risk, you know what I mean? So he just had this idea of a story about this woman who loses somebody to her along the lines of like the Highway of Tears in Canada, and he just wants to get to know me. And I was like, alright, well, and he saw that I was using my platform to try to bring awareness to things like missing and murdered indigenous women. So we chatted up a little bit. And he told me, he wants to drive up to Rhode Island, he was in New York. And we just sat down and talked. And it's funny, because the time he approached me in my life, I had just lost my brother to brain cancer. So I was like, in a weird grieving state, and he just interviewed me talk to me about my brother wanted to know my background. And from there, he just really, I just saw something that I didn't see. And he asked me to come on to this project very early on as a creative collaborator, as far as he knew, and I love him for this, he knew that this was a very important story to tell. He just knew it wasn't his story to tell. And that's so important, because we need to tell our stories, you know, this story is not a any way shape, or form an answer to this missing and murdered indigenous people epidemic. It's just our artistic interpretation. He's very talented filmmakers. So he wants to use his knowledge and his talent to tell the story. And it was kind of like a two year collaboration where we I was able to build the character, Kaley, we took a lot of aspects out of my real life, and he wanted to involve it in it, and I was open to it. Because I just really wanted to tell the story, right. And just open people's eyes with something like a thriller in a genre film, you know, you bring people in with that thriller of people, you know, boxing is always a great thing or fighting is always a great thing that kind of draw the people in in for a first time actor. I know boxing, you know, I can do that with my eyes closed. So it was just we went through like a dozen different scripts, but down to like, even the colors represented. There's so many little gems in there from the villains wife to how there's like so many different themes, but we want to make sure it wasn't, we don't want to beat you over the head with activism. Not that that's bad, but we were trying to do so many things subtly. We didn't want to, you know, put the sexualization out in that in your face. Because you know, what that means and you know, what happens in these scenes we want to kind of suggest, not tell so that's really how that happened. And he really explained from his perspective as a director what the harder things are as an as a performer as an artist, which was not many words, you prompt to try to tell people what you're thinking or how this character thinks and how what they're feeling. Now with words with your demeanor, your how you hold yourself. So he really broke that down and we built this character we built all the whole world that she lives in and what happens and we had to make it as he quotes unpredictable, yet inevitable, hence the ending. So I won't ruin it for you. But we wanted to make sure those themes of sorrow loss kind of that memory was in this this film so we can start people's heads thinking and just bring awareness to this and ask those questions. So that's that's how that happened. It wasn't, um, you know, I have a manager, an agent and they got me this job, I just kind of it came to me. And it was very, very cathartic. It was tough at times, but just like my box, and I was, I was willing and I knew I was able to do it. Um, so I was gonna tell the story to the best of my ability by any means necessary, because I knew what needed to be told. Told. So, I was like, Alright, I'm going to be this vessel getting beat me up, guys. I got this. So it was an honor. And it's, you know, there's a part of that character, Kaylee, I'm sure in everybody, just like with my story, I'm sure there's a relatable aspects of my real life story. So it's, it's very intense. It's very triggering. It's a warning, but it was, you know, the best thing about this film is I haven't had to, well, we haven't had to explain anything to anyone. Everybody comes up with these great questions. Which means that I mean, I'm happy with the job that we did. There's going to be people that hated it, loved it. But as long as the general message gets out there, I'm happy with it.

LeAndra Nephin  30:59

Yeah, I mean, I was kind of good thinking the same thing in terms of how much of that story was, you know, close to the knuckle for you absolutely inspiring. Kaylee, what's what's next for you what's next in your your journey in your life story.

Kali Reis  31:13

So I am set up to do the final and the 140 pound, turn over the super lightweight tournament road to undisputed unfortunately, we wanted to have the fight March, April, but because I'm in the position that I'm in where I am a unified champion, and I have the ability to take care of myself first, which is something I should have done years ago, I had to kind of put training on hold a bit just to get things you know, I'm like a 57 Chevy, my dashboard was lit up like a Christmas tree, I have to get some things tuned up. So that fight is definitely still in the on on the agenda for this year. I know, Chantelle camera was just scheduled for me to keep busy, which I respect her and we have so much respect between one another. I love these good fights, we've been wanting our fight. I don't know for like the past three years, to be honest with you. So that's definitely going to happen. When I don't know I just like I said, I gotta take care of a few more health things. And so I can, you know, get this as the engine revving and getting going so on. That's definitely on the horizon. I mean, come September, I'll be in the pro game for 14 years. And I didn't give my I gave myself when I first started. I didn't want to be in boxing past 3637 ish. And I'm 35 now. And I've accomplished so much way more than I thought we more than a lot of people have thought and to be 35 to be a unified champion in a weight class, I probably should have been fighting in my whole career right now. And to be you know, amongst one of the most relevant fighters of boxing, women's boxing right now is just a test in itself. So I got a few more fights in me and right now I'm just balancing acting with with boxing, I have representation now I plan on sticking in putting my all into to acting in this film network. You know, I might get into producing or whatever, but I actually love it. I mean, there's so many parallels to the business of boxing and film industry. So I'm gonna definitely be hopping on more projects me and Joseph were joking around about writing some more stuff. I love him to death as like my brother from another now. So I'm just really, really busy. I've been auditioning for everything and anything kind of just like boxing, working those muscles. And when I hang the gloves up, I will totally be still involved in boxing, whether it's helping my husband managed fighters, I do commentating and I love it. I also help train fighters. One of our fighters just won her first world title in the UK. We were there two weeks ago ebony bridges. So it's so exciting to still be involved in boxing. So wherever the creative sees fit to put me, I don't know, maybe I'll become a veterinarian one day, who knows, but that's what's going on with me right now.

LeAndra Nephin  33:44

I don't know if you ever wanted to put your mind to being a veterinarian that you would accomplish that. Oh, Kaylee, if you're ever in the UK, you have to let me know. So I can come and watch your one of your fights or whoever you're sponsoring or managing. Finally, one last question, because we kind of talked about that theme around our youth coming up and seeing people who look like them. Now, you know, what, I guess advice or words of wisdom would you give to our young, black indigenous youth that are coming up who may be struggling with some of the same things you're you're struggling with? Or who may even want to follow in your footsteps and become boxers themselves? What advice would you give them? First of

Kali Reis  34:29

all, man being that age right now and the world we live in? God bless you because I couldn't I it's so much pressure and there's so much everybody's so mean but so sensitive at the same time. So first of all, you know, every day you wake up, just you know, pat yourself on the back, and there is a space for us. No matter what you want to do. There is a place there is a space so if you feel out of place, don't think it's you. It might just be the space that you're in right now. Always don't go back to you because that's what I used to do. Oh is my fault. Obviously we all make mistakes, there's things that yes are your fault. But sometimes you might have to take a little step back and really see the people you surround yourself with other space you're in because there is a place for everybody and there's a place for black indigenous people I'm telling you, especially in sports, especially for female, black, indigenous or black or whatever minority in this boxing space, you can trust me you can do it. A loss, especially those that are are boxing right now. Boxing has gained this, you know, this undefeated thing, if you are a young male or female in boxing right now, a loss is not the end of the world. What I can tell you right now is take the lessons learned from this loss, or the win too, because a lot of people get caught up in this. I'm better than everybody just know that just like, I know that somebody's watching this and I'm gonna fight Kaylee Reese one day, there's somebody watching you and saying they're gonna fight you one day. So always keep an open mind, no matter what it is boxing, anything, never put a ceiling on your knowledge. Because you can learn something from everybody. You can either learn what to do, or what not to do from people. Just keep it keep it going. And oh, and chalk up the mistakes. Don't be so hard on yourself. And that's so easy said than done. Because I'm a very OCD Virgo that thinks everything is my fault. So have something that makes you come alive if you want to be the general manager at Burger King, and that is that puts a fire in your belly. I don't care if people laugh at you and you get this and that if that looks makes you happy. Do that. Do that. If you're passionate about something, make sure it makes you happy. Don't do things for other people do it for you. That's it.

LeAndra Nephin  36:32

Wow, Kaylee. I feel incredibly, incredibly inspiring. I feel like I want to go out and take a boxset and be like, hey, amazing, your absolute straightforwardness. Your complete self awareness and introspection is just incredibly jarringly refreshing, and I love this interview so much and I just cannot wait for our listeners to hear all those pearls and gifts of knowledge that you would drop in today while they read the Hi, thank you so much for joining us today. Kaley

Kali Reis  37:04

savages thank you so much. It's been a pleasure to speak with you.

LeAndra Nephin  37:12

This has been not invisible native peoples on the frontlines, a house on fire production. To learn more about Kaylee follow her on Instagram at Keio underscore Indian boxer. This episode is produced by Victor Mako spirit Buffalo and JB Hart. Our editor is Abby Franz, our theme song is another side by wild whispers produced by Ben Reno, Ely love and Meghan Lee. This season of not invisible is produced with support from Earth rising Foundation, our Patreon producers Kathy Dewar and Rena Krishnan and our friends at buy me a coffee. We'd like to give a special shout out to all of our Patreon supporters. You too can become a patron by finding us at Red House series on Patreon or buy us a coffee links on our website at Red House series.com wonky they wave the HA I thank you all