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From: Diane Anderson-Minshall
Date: 8/28/2002
Time: 1:11:58 PM
Remote Name: 209.247.136.211
Hi Everyone, I'm the recipient of the George Washington Williams Fellowship for Writers of Color and I'm researching an article on Native American lesbians. I'm looking to interview women, via email or phone, who identify as gay/lesbian/queer/two-spirit and are either Native American or mixed race. "Native American" in this case covers indigenous women of Canada, pueblo border folks, and Mexican Indians, as well.
If any of you fit this description and would be willing to answer a few questions, I'd love to hear from you. It's fine to remain anonymous, as well. I have posted questions below which you can answer and return to me or you can contact me directly.
I'd also love to hear from anyone who isn't gay but has strong feelings, either way, about homosexuality among Native American women.
Please feel free to pass my info along to your friends as well. Thanks again.
Diane Anderson-Minshall diane@anderson-minshall.com 650-851-4485
P.S. The article will appear in Curve magazine (www.curvemag.com) and you can check out my credentials at www.anderson-minshall.com.
Dear Interviewee: > > First, let me take a minute to thank you so much for > answering these questions. I’m so indebted to you for > your help on this article. Some of the questions > reflect my own self-exploration, too. (In case you > don’t know, I’m a mixed race Cherokee/Choctaw from a > family with a long tradition of passing; I cried for > hours this year when I found my great great > grandmother on the Dawes Rolls—as though it were > finally some kind of proof of my own existence. ) So > thanks again for your help. I need to get replies back > as soon as possible but as long as I have them by > September 2, I’m great. > > Also, If you have anyone that you could pass these > questions to, please do. They just need to be a woman > who identifies as queer (under any terminology) and is > Native American (or mixed race Native). Native > American covers indigenous women of Canada, pueblo > border folks, and Mexican Indians, as well. > > You can email replies to diane@anderson-minshall.com. > Call if you have any questions. 650-851-4485. Thanks! > Diane > * > Name, age, occupation (if any): > > Is it okay to use your name in Curve magazine? > > Where do you live (state, city, country, reservation, > etc)? > > How do you define your cultural background? Native > American, American Indian, mixed race? > > Do you identify as lesbian, queer, or two-spirit? > > Do you know your tribal affiliation(s)? > > Are you involved with your tribe in any way? If so, > how? > > Do you, or have you ever, lived on a reservation? If > so, which one. > > If you’ve lived on a reservation, why did you leave? > Do you miss it? > > If you have never lived on a reservation, do you wish > you had? Do you feel less “authentic” for not having > done so? > > If you have relatives on the rez, especially females, > how is your life different than theirs? > > Are you active with any queer Native American groups? > If so, how has that helped you embrace, reclaim, or > hold on to your culture? > > Have you ever experienced homophobia from other Native > Americans? Can you give me an example? > > Have you experienced racism from other queers? Can you > give me an example? > > Do you ever feel invisible as a Native American for > any reason? Can you tell me why? > > Have you ever heard of anti-lesbian violence on the > reservations? How did that news or experience affect > you? > > Do you adhere to Native spiritual beliefs or > traditional ways? If so, what ways? > > Do you have queer Native American role models? > > How did your parents or family react to your coming > out? Did they have a concept of lesbianism before you > came out? How did they view it, if so? > > Did you relationship with either parent affect how you > identify culturally? If so, how? > > Do you have a certificate of Indian blood? If not, do > you care? > > Do you have children? Regardless, are you concerned > about passing along your Native heritage or, > conversely, not diluting your bloodline? > > Do you think there are parallels between being Native > in America today and being queer in America today?