July Gallup Focus Group: Building Power thru Art in Solidarity with our intersections: Creating Safer Space in Arizona & New Mexico for Two Spirit, Transgender, Nonbinary, and Intersex American Indians and Alaska Natives

JULY event is IN PERSON in GALLUP for Two Spirit, transgender, nonbinary, intersex American Indians and Alaska Natives ONLY.

We will email out a request form to everyone who registers for a ticket.

This is the second in a 4-part series of in-person and virtual gatherings by Navajo Birthworker Collective to gather the needs, wants, and dreams of Two Spirit, transgender, nonbinary, and intersex American Indians and Alaska Natives residing in Arizona and New Mexico. By collecting and presenting highlights of their experiences to compassionate providers and relatives, our intention is to inform the community and strengthen all our relations. We plan to do this in 3 focus groups and then present the stories given to us anonymously in 1 info session open to compassionate providers and relatives.

This project also fills another purpose: to weave together in solidarity. Navajo Birthworker Collective calls on the wisdom and knowledge of a non-Native accomplice whose personal goals include land back within their lifetime. Wilbliss Kim (they/them)  is a queer trans aspiring midwife of Korean descent. NBC awarded a midwifery scholarship to them after hearing their life experience about repeated homelessness during past apprenticeships and white supremacist discrimination while on the job as a birth assistant.  Before moving back into midwifery apprenticeship, Wilbliss asked to organize a community gathering to train others in gender post-operative caregiving and anti-carceral mental health support as part of their volunteer hours. This project was planted in the seed of that conversation and builds stronger relationships across identities.

Along with Wilbliss, NBC calls on the culturally resonant grounding practices of Nizhoni Singer, “I am a Diné doula in training, also an artist, musician, and writer with a love for holistic care, including Asian medicine. I’m fine with any pronouns—call me whatever you would like. I’m all about supporting birthing individuals with kindness and understanding. When I’m not doing that, I’m creating art, writing stories, poems, or songs."

$100 stipends given for each participant after post-event feedback form is handed in. Emergency safety protocols will be given, and location will not be publicized. Each discussion will be 2 hours long and will end with an hour of sharing a meal, our art in progress, and short performances by and for participants.

This community assessment mapping project is brought to you by grants from NewMexicoWomen.org and the Racial Justice & Equity Fund. Here are the fundraiser links for pre-orders to STICKERS and POSTERS please show your support!