Indigiqueer Joy

About the Project

Where: 1508 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
When: June 2022 and 2023
Connect: pathsremembered.org/our-stories

2023 Festival

Indigiqueerz and Indigiqueer allies kicked off Seattle Pride weekend by enjoying food, drag, music, dance, and more, backdropped by the Salish Sea on June 23 from 4‑8 pm at Pier 62. Learn more about the 2023 Indigiqueer Festival curated by Hailey Tayathy here.

2022 Programs

The space between queer and Indigenous identities is rarely celebrated or recognized by mainstream society. In June 2022, yəhaw̓ put a spotlight on queer Indigenous joy and held space for the queer Indigenous community across Seattle.

The Indigiqueer Joy Campaign was created by the Paths (Re)Membered Project at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board. The Indigiqueer Joy event series was additionally supported by Friends of Waterfront Seattle and yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective, curated by Hailey Tayathy (Quileute). All gatherings were free and open to the public.

We celebrated Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ activism, art, and pride at two events:

Exhibition at Vermillion

June 2-30, Vermillion Gallery

In June we highlighted Indigiqueer Joy in the heart of Capitol Hill at Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar. The Indigiqueer Joy Exhibition shared a series of photos that were taken by Evan Benally Atwood (Diné/Navajo) and Nate Lemuel (Diné/Navajo), across what is now known as Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Oklahoma over the course of 15 days. The exhibition also featured works by other local queer Indigenous artists including Hailey Tayathy (Quileute), and Dove Little Home (Blackfeet/Cree).

Waterfront Festival

June 25, 2-7pm, Seattle's Waterfront Park, Pier 62

We overflowed with Indigiqueer Joy on June 25th, 2022 at Pier 62! Visitors enjoyed food, music, drag and more while coming together with the queer Indigenous community to celebrate ourselves. Art and performances by:

Aiyana Reid
Delia Gomez
fabian romero
Gila Spectrum
Guma Gela
Hailey Tayathy
Koko Swallowz
Ramonda Holiday
Tomahawk Martini

About the Campaign

In the summer of 2021 the Paths (Re)Membered Project communed with queer Indigenous creative, Evan Benally Atwood (Diné/Navajo) to manifest a story of collective queer Indigenous joy. The series of photos that follow were taken across what is now known as Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Oklahoma over the course of 15 days. Equipped with a notebook and camera, Evan set out on a journey with Nate Lemuel (Diné/Navajo), capturing sweet and sacred moments of queer Indigeneity.

About the Artist

Evan Benally Atwood
Evan is a Diné queer creative from Farmington, NM, residing in the PNW. They thoughtfully use filmmaking and photography to document stories, uplift community, and empower marginalized voices. Nate is a Diné queer creative from Shiprock, NM. His work is a reflection of supporting each other, embracing who we are, and celebrating ourselves. From film to digital, his expression is documented by portraits of landscape, growing with community, and stop action movement.

About the Curator

Hailey Tayathy
To create this representation for themselves and other Indigiqueer people, Hailey uses the Coast Salish art style to create imagery of Indigiqueer lives. Hailey Tayathy is a member of the Quileute Nation and Seattle's premier Native American drag queen. Tayathy uses their queer Native experiences to inform their unique brand of drag through which they aim to bring healing to Indigenous communities and to show everyone that Indigiqueers are still here and are stronger and more beautiful than colonized minds can imagine.