What does it mean to Indigenize queer identity?
A conversation with Felysha Aragon My name is Felysha Aragon. I’m from Nambe Owingeh here in New Mexico. My father comes from the Big Island of Hawaii. I use she/her, they/them, he/him pronouns. I really don’t care. I’ve lived most of my life in Hawaii and moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico a couple years ago, […]
Indigiqueer Gardening – Our Sovereignty is Land Sovereignty
Shawn Peterson (Nuu-chah-nulth) Youth program manager, Na’ah Illahee. Itai Jeffries (Yésah) Co-Manager, Paths (Re)Membered Project Yireidi Valencia-Martinez Hñähñu (Otomi Nation) Youth coordinator, Na’ah Illahee Tell us about your garden. Shawn: Our organization had been caring for beds at the University of Washington Arboretum for a few years now, we’re a small staff, and it was a […]
Decolonization Means the End of Ableism
A conversation about disability with Jen Deerinwater Osiyo! I’m a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and am bisexual and Two Spirit. I’m also multiply disabled, chronically ill, and I’m immune-compromised. I’ve struggled a lot with chronic pain and mobility issues since the age of 13. I’m 41 now, and my health is getting […]
To Destigmatize HIV We Have to Talk About It: A Conversation with Noquisi
My name is Noquisi. I’m 22, Cherokee. I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’m HIV positive. I’m an artist and a model. I paint, I do pottery. I’ve recently started to work with an artist supported by the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, which is a foundation that supports artists to live and work in Tulsa. I’m really open […]
McGirt v. Oklahoma: Responses from Queer Indigenous Oklahomans
In July 2020, the Supreme Court ruled for McGirt in McGirt v. Oklahoma, acknowledging that Congress has never extinguished the reservation lands set aside for the Muscogee Creek Nation in 1866. This means 47 percent of the state of Oklahoma, an area that’s home to 1.8 million people, is still Native land. We asked two Indigenous […]
Remembering Our Two Spirit & Indigenous LGBTQ+ Relatives
In this month’s blog post, four public health professionals describe their journeys toward inclusive programming for Two Spirit and Indigenous LGBTQ+ people within organizations and within themselves. When did your organization start to think about the Two Spirit voices that were there, and those that were missing, in terms of goals and programming? Shawn Peterson […]
My Joy is Visual Sovereignty
A Conversation with Evan Benally Atwood My business card says Diné, Queer, Creative. I don’t include the label of filmmaker, director of photography, or any specific thing. My scope is larger than any one thing, it’s spirit-led. The intention is there between me and the camera. It’s my tool. You can’t just give it to […]
Qualifications of Being
Qualifications of Being is a comic-based zine (a short, self-published magazine) exploring being Trans and Two Spirit. I sat down with author Raven Two Feathers and illustrator Jonny Cechony to talk about how they put this project together. Download the zine at qualificationsofbeing.com. NPAIHB: Why create a zine exploring Trans and Two Spirit identity now? […]
Supporting our Youth: How A Two Spirit Safe Space Alliance Changed Our Community
I first visited Renea Menchaca at Portland’s Native American Youth and Family Center the week of their Queer Prom. Renea sat at a sewing machine, altering a dress for one student as two others flitted in and out of a nearby supply closet, trying on dresses and modeling them for their teacher. As Renea sewed, […]
The Many Colors of our Pride
Last week, for National Coming Out Day, we asked how you show pride for your Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ community. We received so many diverse responses. From rainbow-flag capes to advocacy for trans athletes to self-care, you are acting as voices for change in your communities. It’s been a week of Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ […]