1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Stephane. 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: Never told your production of iHeart Radio, so any welcome. 3 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: How are you? I'm good? How are you? I feel 4 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: like we don't do that enough where we actually talk together, 5 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 1: even though we've already talked like three hours up to 6 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: this point, but you know, checking in how are you? Yes, yes, 7 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: you know, I'm good. As I said, I had a 8 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:41,200 Speaker 1: lot of weird dreams last night. My water is cut off, 9 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: but overall doing okay. How are you doing? Okay? I 10 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: am also here. I feeling that just needs to be 11 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: said in general, Yes we are here, but I did 12 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: have a question for you as in regard to our 13 00:00:57,960 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: person of the world today, and yeah, we're kind of 14 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 1: changing at even those women around the world, persons around 15 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: the world. Do you remember how old you were when 16 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: you wrote your first poem? I think the first one 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: that I remembered clearly, I was eight. But I think 18 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: I I wrote them before. And I know I've shared 19 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: the story of my very embarrassing knock knock joke that 20 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: I wrote, which is not a poem at all. But 21 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: I think, like in that vein, I had written other 22 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: like much shorter poems before, but the first one I 23 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: remember clearly. I was eight years old. Oh nice. It 24 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: was a very, what I thought the time, sad poem 25 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: about a girl named Michelle, who was my favorite. That 26 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: was my favorite name at the time. Michelle and Crystal. 27 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: They're my favorite names. Crystal really interesting. I loved that well. 28 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: I was a big I tried to change my name 29 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: to Glory at nine years old. I liked a big, 30 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: like meaningful in my view name. And it was about 31 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: Michelle finding shells at the beach and uh, what the 32 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: shells meant to her and the sadness she felt at 33 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: the loss of the cells. I like this, Michelle and 34 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: her shells. I think it was called something like I 35 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: love this so much. Do you have this somewhere? I 36 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: do still have it. I do still have it. I'm 37 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: gonna need you to get it so we can post 38 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: it up. I'm going to need to publish it. I'm 39 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: sorry it needs to be published, one of mine. I 40 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: think it was not necessarily a poem, but it was 41 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: just like a short story poem, kind of one of those, 42 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: and it was about leprichn and how to catch a lepricn. 43 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: Really yeah, I won an award for it, dude, you did, 44 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 1: Like I was like, yeah, yeah, five, Like you know, 45 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: the to the school little supply store, so you buy 46 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 1: pencils and stickers and such ten dollars and may even 47 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: ten dollars to one for that. Thank you very love. 48 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: You still have that got. Unfortunately, my house had a 49 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: house fire, and so yeah, I'm sure. I'm pretty sure 50 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: it burned because it was in the attic where the 51 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: house fire began. But I remember it clearly because I 52 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: even showed like I was like, I'm going to do 53 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: it this way, and instead of like finding gold, I 54 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: took a penny and wrapped it up with It was 55 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: a whole project where I colored the paper of gold 56 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: and taped it and put it in a jar, and 57 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: I was ready. I was ready. I don't know why 58 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: I thought labricns were so tiny, like their aunts or something. 59 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: Apparently I did this. And when we talked about the 60 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,080 Speaker 1: fact that poetry is something that's a big part of 61 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: our lives, actually just recently uncovered another book that I 62 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: forgot about that I wrote during college and it's very religious, 63 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: and I was like, huh um, but that's where I 64 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: was at that point in time, and that's how I 65 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: communicated was their poems. Um and because it is once 66 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: again as we talked about previously, and I'm gonna harp 67 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,040 Speaker 1: on it because i want to celebrate it to the 68 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: max uh Native American Heritage Month, And we wanted to 69 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: talk about an artist and activists and a poet who 70 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: continues to make impact and and yeah, we're talking about 71 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: poet Native American artists Christos. And apparently their name kind 72 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: of has a pseudonym in conflation of the Greek word 73 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 1: for christ and gold, and that's what they go by, 74 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 1: is Christos. And if you're looking for any of their works, uh, 75 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: that's what it's going to be under. And they are amazing, 76 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: Like I I really looking at their work. It is beautiful. 77 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: And they do refer to themselves as they are there 78 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: um and so obviously that's how we're going to respect that. 79 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: And Christos, who identifies as a lesbian and two spirited, 80 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: self educated writer, artists and activists as a resident of 81 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: Washington State. They are a monominee writer who looks at 82 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: the depths and needs of the Indigenous American social justice 83 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:22,679 Speaker 1: needs and the civil rights and is a fierce feminist 84 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: seeking to bring intersectionality in the needs of their community. 85 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: Christos also refers to themselves as a political poet whose 86 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: influences include Au Your Lord and Joy Hard Joe, and 87 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,679 Speaker 1: uses their art and writing as commentary on social justice issues, 88 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 1: including quote how colonialism, genocide, class, and gender affect the 89 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: lives of women and indigenous people's. Christos life experiences can 90 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: also be seen through their extensive works. Both off reservation 91 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: to an abusive father who was ashamed of his heritage. 92 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: They were taught to read by their father, and we're 93 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: self educated and started writing poetry at the age of nine. 94 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,040 Speaker 1: So very closely to your thing, not necessarily the father part, 95 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: butted yea. So in their later teenage years they were 96 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: placed in and out of different institutions um and though 97 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: they stated the initial placement helped them, it later became 98 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: a pretty big hindrance to their lives and their growth. 99 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: And then as they continue to grow in their art 100 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: and in life, they talked about the influences that continue 101 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: to push them in their work and activism. When asked 102 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: in an interview if being queer influenced their work, they 103 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: stayed a quote, being a queer woman has given me 104 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: independence that is not possible for straight women. I've never 105 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: had a boyfriend I had to appease or tone myself 106 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: down in order to protect his ego. Being a lesbian 107 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: is being an outlaw. I get to name my own poisons. 108 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: But it isn't just through their writing. They work for 109 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: social justice, but through painstaking work, like their work to 110 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: free unjustly imprisoned Native Americans including Norman jine Croy and 111 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 1: Leonard Peltier, and they were involved in working for the 112 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: rights of different tribes including the Denay, Navajo and Mohawk. 113 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: But they continue their work outside of their community and 114 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 1: work for the issues in regards of Palestinian rights, domestic violence, 115 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: and so much more. And of course they have been 116 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 1: given so many awards and recognition for their continued work 117 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: and advocacy for their community and so many others, including 118 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: the National Endowment of the Arts, the Sappho Award Distinction, 119 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: the Human Rights Freedom of Expression Award, and yes, many others. 120 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: And if you're wanting to check out their incredible works, 121 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: which they've won the Audrey Lord International Poetry Competition for 122 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: go check out the books, including Not Finishing I Am Here, 123 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 1: and they've published so many others and apparently for a 124 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: while and I don't know if they're still doing this. 125 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: They're having to go through Canadian publishers even though they're 126 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 1: from the US because of so many sensor laws and issues, 127 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: which made me angry, maybe super super angry. But they're 128 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: also they speak at different conferences and as part of 129 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: the community overall, especially when it comes to arts. Amazing work. 130 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: But we definitely wanted to end with a reading of 131 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,239 Speaker 1: one of their poems, um and this one is titled 132 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 1: a woman from the book Not Vanishing. So here we go. 133 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: Will you come with me? Moving through the rivers to 134 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: soft lake beds, coming gathering wild rice with sticks. Will 135 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: you go with me down the waters along smoothly shaking 136 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: life into our journey? Will you bring this gift with me? 137 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:27,120 Speaker 1: We'll ask my brother to dance on it until the 138 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: wildness sings. I love poetry to um and yeah, their 139 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: work is amazing, UM and you really should go and 140 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: see the different things so that they have published, continue 141 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: to publish, continue to do and they, like said, they've 142 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: not sloped down. It seems that there's still a part 143 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: of the community and trying to fight for the intersectionality 144 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: within their community as well. So it is amazing to see. 145 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: And I'm really sad again because they are pretty famous 146 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: and their works are pretty famous, but it took this 147 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: segment for me to find them. I'm a little anois 148 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: aid Um and I'm hoping that I can discover a 149 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: lot more, especially with their works. Yes, and listeners, as always, 150 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: if you can help us with that, If you have 151 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: any suggestions, please let us know. You can email us 152 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 1: at Stephanie and mom Stuff at I hurt media dot com. 153 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter at mom Stuff podcast 154 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: or on Instagram and stuff whatever told you, I thinks 155 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: there's always to our super producer, Christina, thank you and 156 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: thanks to you for listening. Stuff whenever told me the 157 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: protection of iHeart Radio. For more podcast from iHeart Radio, 158 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: visit the heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you 159 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:32,959 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.