Curriculum Vitae
Professional
info
Taté Walker (they/them) is a Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota. They are an award-winning Two Spirit storyteller. Their first full-length poetry book, The Trickster Riots, was published June 1, 2022, by Abalone Mountain Press.
Taté has written for various outlets, including The Nation, Pipe Wrench, Apartment Therapy, Subaru Drive, Everyday Feminism, Native Peoples, Indian Country Today, and ANMLY. They are also featured in several anthologies: FIERCE: Essays by and about Dauntless Women, South Dakota in Poems, W.W. Norton's Everyone's an Author, Good Eats: 32 Writers on Eating Ethically (forthcoming 2023, New York University Press), and The Languages of Our Love: An Indigenous Love and Sex Anthology (forthcoming 2023, Abalone Mountain Press).
Taté uses their 20+ years of experience working for daily newspapers, social justice organizations, and tribal education systems to organize students and professionals around issues of critical cultural competency, anti-racism/anti-bias, and inclusive community building.
Professional-Grade Technical Skills
SONY, NIKON & CANON
MAC & PC
MICROSOFT OFFICE SUITE
PHOTOSHOP, INDESIGN & PREMIERE
ZOOM, MS TEAMS & PREZI
SOCIAL MEDIA
AVID & FINAL CUT
iMOVIE & GARAGEBAND
GENERAL OFFICE EQUIPMENT
Languages
HTML
CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH
BEGINNER LAKOTA
KARAOKE
CULTURAL COMPETENCY
PUNS
SARCASM
BUFFY-SPEAK
WIZARD
Work
experience
COMMUNICATIONS & PR DIRECTOR
Salt River Schools, Administration
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
2016-Present
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Responsible for developing and implementing the Division’s communication plan, including management and oversight of Division news and information publication through multiple channels, including local media, web, and social media.
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Facilitated Division-wide strategic planning that won nationwide Districts of Distinction award.
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District web developer and content manager.
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Developed media/software, trauma, and cultural competency trainings for staff.
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Ensure the quality of all outgoing Division materials, including supporting sites and departments by ensuring consistency in content, voice, quality, and brand awareness.
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Respond to inquiries from the media, the public, parents, staff, and the Salt River Community.
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Serve as a Division public information officer.
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Taught elementary and high school yearbook classes.
EDITOR
Native Peoples Magazine
Phoenix, AZ
08/2015-12/2016
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Lead and supervise 5 full and part-time staff, as well as 20+ freelance writers across the United States for a 30-year-old, bi-monthly, international niche magazine with 40K print readers, 12K website readers, and 10K digital app users.
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Manage magazine/web/app content and layout. Develop, assign, and edit all articles, video, and photos.
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Produce monumental growth (70 percent within six months) in engaged social media following: 300K+ Facebook, 7K+ Instagram, 2K+ Twitter, and 10K+ views on YouTube.
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Develop and maintain partnerships with businesses, indigenous artists, and nonprofit organizations to increase advertising and subscription revenue.
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Expert use of Adobe, Mac, and Microsoft Office software; additionally, expert use of Nikon/Canon/Sony equipment.
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Oversee editorial direction, coordination and content of the magazine by conceptualizing/planning issues, researching articles, writing articles, editing articles, proofing issues, and collecting/coordinating photography and photo shoots with the publisher and creative director.
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Develop a 501c3 foundation, mission, and goals.
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Implement the financial and editorial budget per issue.
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Serve as spokesperson for NPM and its affiliated products and publications.
FAMILY ADVOCATE
CPCD Head Start
Colorado Springs, CO
08/2014-08/2015
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Empower underserved families with skills needed to achieve educational, employment, and social connection goals. Service caseload of 90+ families with 75% success rate (goal achievement).
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Facilitate bi-monthly diversity and cultural competency trainings to CPCD staff (topics include Gender & Sexuality; Indigenous Cultures; and HIV/AIDS Awareness & Prevention).
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Provide emergency assistance/crisis intervention to families indicating need.
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Direct agency’s “Two-Generation Approach” with regards to employment: Lead a monthly Job Club for parent clients interested in a career change or skills development; cultivate relationships with employment resources within the community; and meet with individual clients to develop résumés, cover letters, and interviewing skills.
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Assist with agency marketing and promotion efforts, including photography and video of CPCD programs and events (Fantasy Flight 2014 and Ballet Class 2015).
(FREELANCE) MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Various
2003-Present
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Write op-eds, news, and features for various outlets, including Everyday Feminism, Native Peoples magazine, and Indian Country Today. Also photograph and produce video to accompany stories.
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As freelance journalist in Sioux Falls, wrote and produced Sunday Life centerpieces (1,500-2,500 words, plus photos and video, four to five times per year) for Argus Leader Media. Focused on Native American culture and human-interest issues.
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Specialize in Gannett-certified digital media, including photography (Canon and Nikon products), digital video (Sony and Panasonic equipment), and editing (Avid, InDesign and Photoshop).
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Covered county government, city desk news and features, and breaking cops/courts/crime news as a full-time reporter for Argus Leader Media (2006-2008); Lincoln (Neb). Journal Star (2004-2006); and the Rapid City (S.D.) Journal (intern, 2003). Produced 10-15 published pieces/week, including one-to-three front-page stories/week, as well as two interactive photo and digital video compliments.
CULTURAL COORDINATOR &
LEAD CRISIS INTAKE SPECIALIST
Volunteers of America, Dakotas
Sioux Falls, SD
03/2012-12/2013
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Supervised at-risk juvenile offenders, including goal-setting, curriculum development, and utilizing social learning theory and COA standards for after school Evening Report Center and the 24/7 crisis intake venue Reception Center, which decrease juvenile incarceration rates and save taxpayer dollars through the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (see www.jdaihelpdesk.org). Provided direct supervision to six staff.
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Built successful relationships with local and regional media outlets, in addition to coordinating community-wide partnership events to garner support of programming, including outreach and funding.
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Key researcher, writer and administrator of more than $400,000 in program grants.
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Co-chaired Minnehaha County Disproportionate Minority Contact committee, which provides oversight, training, and technical support of detention alternatives to regional court, law enforcement, and social services.
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Created and sustained program budget and database of all youth demographic and assessment information. Responsible for gathering, assessing, and reporting quarterly and annual findings to stakeholders. Expert user across all Microsoft Office platforms, as well as many online document-sharing interfaces.
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Facilitated monthly cultural awareness and diversity programs for the VOA agency and Sioux Falls community; reach audiences of 20-100 people. Among the more popular issues I have presented include Two Spirits, Indian Mascots, and Lakota Competency 101.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota
Sioux Falls, SD
09/2011-01/2012
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Managed public messaging and media relations, including TV, radio and print interviews, preparing press releases and developing media strategies.
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Tracked media trends and developed attention-grabbing messaging campaigns relating to civil rights issues.
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Recruited, cultivated and managed 200+ regional volunteers. Created agency’s first volunteer contact database.
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Designed, developed and managed user-friendly and stimulating content for newsletters, web sites, Facebook and Twitter. Doubled output and reach of these platforms within five months.
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Produced and coordinated the scheduling of advertising for media and event programs, including public events, information booths, and educational civil rights presentations for area colleges.
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Researched, analyzed and conveyed complex and controversial issues to narrow and broad audiences.
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Extensive civil rights and political outreach to Native American, LGBT, and immigrant communities.
NATIVE AMERICAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM MANAGER
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sioux Empire
Sioux Falls, SD
03/2008-9/2011
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Grew program from 25 matches to more than 120 community-based mentoring relationships between positive adults and Native American children ages 7-18. Emphasized culture and academic success through events, after-school programs, and community gatherings.
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Recruited BIPOC volunteers and youth, performed interviews, background and reference checks, mentor training, and home assessments.
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Provided outreach via public speaking to area organizations, businesses and classroom environments regarding Native American culture, mentoring, and issues. Averaged 8-10 outreach activities/month.
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Successfully presented four annual appeals to United Way, resulting in increased annual program funding.
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Utilized outstanding analytical and writing skills to research Native American youth disparities information to apply for grants totaling $20K, which created an elementary-level after-school culture club that contributed to academic success and less absenteeism for participating youth.
Education
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
FEMA Training & Certification
2017
Public information is a vital function in disaster operations that contributes greatly to saving lives and protecting property. Public information entails the processes and systems that enable effective communications with various target audiences. The EMI training program provides PIOs with the opportunity to learn and practice the tasks of gathering, verifying, coordinating, and disseminating public information at all levels of government.”
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA
Master of Science in Administration
2013
Attained 3.75 GPA throughout six semesters. Courses included personnel management, managerial communication, administrative thought and ethics, budgetary and fiscal management, administrative law and government, research in administrative practices, multimedia production, and writing for public administration, among others.
SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
South Dakota Instructor Certificate #74957-0
Valid through July 2014
Two-year alternative certification endorsement in K-12 South Dakota Indian Studies. Obtained in order to teach middle school Native American Connections class for semester-long contract.
FORT LEWIS COLLEGE
Bachelor of Arts in English-Communications
2004
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Pursued degree in journalism and documenary-style film; minored in political science.
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News Editor of college paper, The Independent, 2003-2004.
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President, Native American Honor Society (2004).
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Member, Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society
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FLC Dean’s List 2002-2004.
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Graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Volunteerism
OCETI SAKOWIN WRITERS SOCIETY
Board Member
2022-Present
Since 1993, the Society has endeavored to strengthen and preserve Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota cultures through the development of culture-based writing. We strive to train, platform and promote Oceti Sakowin storytellers through workshops, anthology opportunities, and our annual conference and retreat.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY ARIZONA
Communications Committee Chair
Phoenix
2016-Present
"Indigenous Peoples Day" re-envisions Columbus Day and changes a celebration of colonialism into an opportunity to reveal historical truths about the genocide and oppression of Indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate Indigenous resistance and resilience across Arizona.
BREAKTHROUGH
Advisory Board
National Post
2019-2022
Breakthrough harnesses the power of media and popular culture to spark conversations and transform norms around gender, racial justice, sexuality, and immigrant rights. Current advisory board projects include discussions about Indigenous and queer issues and the "Our Stories" media campaign.
FEMINIST HUMANIST ALLIANCE
Advisory Board
National Post
2016-2020
The Feminist Humanist Alliance (FHA) is an adjunct organization of the American Humanist Association. This platform functions at the intersection of humanist philosophy and inclusive feminism. We strive to build healthy communities that confront discrimination and oppression guided by the principles of intersectional feminism. In order to shape the world we want to live in, we are determined to engage inequality through compassion, education, and promoting social liberation.
GIRL SCOUTS OF COLORADO
Troop Volunteer
Colorado Springs
2014-2015
A new adventure, and one I can pursue with my daughter. I did Girl Scouts from first through seventh grade and loved it.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF THE SIOUX EMPIRE
Native American Scholars Mentor
Sioux Falls, SD & Colorado Springs
2007-2015
Mentored Tiffany (22) for six years; Precious (20) for two years; and mentored Sierra (19).
SIOUX FALLS DIVERSITY COUNCIL
Board Member, Annual Conference Speaker & Presenter
2008-2013
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Facilitate interactive cultural competency and diversity training presentations with attendance of up to 200+ in educational institutions, non-profit agencies and community organizations, including the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, Dakota State University, University of Sioux Falls, Augustana College, City of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls School District, and the Sioux Falls Multi-Cultural Center.
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Served as the diversity council’s board secretary from July 2010 through August 2011. Chaired the board’s 501(c)(3) application committee, and the youth advisory committee.
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Build coalitions between multicultural communities and workplaces, as well as lead/assist group discussions concerning issues of difference.
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Advise on sensitive personnel/student issues.
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Instrumental in planning, coordinating and securing funding for public events and conferences.
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Design and prepare educational and training informational materials (curriculum, brochures, newsletters) for corporate and educational milieu.
CITY OF SIOUX FALLS
Human Relations Commission
2013
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Chosen by mayor to promote civil rights and enforce the law of equal opportunity for Sioux Falls residents.
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Developed diversity community leader database for mayor’s stakeholder committee.
YWCA's GIRLS ON THE RUN
Lead Coach, Hawthorne Elementary School
Sioux Falls, SD
2006-2008
Led 3rd-5th grade girls through physical activity and mental/emotional/social/academic/lifestyle healthy practices using proven methods and curriculum two hours twice per week for 12 weeks, twice a year (Fall/Spring). Each season culminated in a 5K event all girls finished via built confidence and empowerment.
Awards &
Honors
NATIVE VOICES SPECIAL EXHIBIT
Artwork + Poetry by Taté & Ohíya Walker Displayed | January-May 2023
See contemporary issues facing Indigenous people through the artwork of Native artists. Native Voice is an educational and thought-provoking exhibit which will run through May 2023 at the Museum of Indigenous People in Prescott, AZ.
PUSHCART PRIZE NOMINEE
Three Poems Nominated | 2022 Contest
Abalone Mountain Press nominated Taté for two poems, "Root My Heart at Wounded Knee" and "From Ptesanwin, With Love." Taté was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize for their poem "my pronouns are super/nova," in the Summer 2022 edition of Pipe Wrench magazine.
“THE TRICKSTER RIOTS”
Taté Walker's debut collection of poetry, fully illustrated by 13-year-old trans/nonbinary artist Ohíya Walker
In this debut illustrated poetry collection, Two Spirit Lakota storyteller Taté Walker steps into the role of a contemporary trickster to continue the purposefully disruptive legacy of a cultural icon: Iktómi, the Spider. The Trickster Riots weaves through the origins of a lost baby queer in love and spiritache to shapeshift into a momma spider exploring what it means to be a good relative, an obliterator of status quo, and a builder of community.
Ohíya Walker (Lakota/Ojibwe/Mvskoke) translates their mother's poems into beautifully quirky and emotionally-driven illustrations, perfectly paring with the provocative wordplay to channel Iktómi as they examine Indigeneity. Buckle up: The Trickster Riots journeys through fury and disaffection, libratic ceremony, and the lightning bolts of a struggling future ancestor.
“INDIGENOUS PHOTOGRAPH: A RESOURCE FOR VISUAL STORYTELLING – IN PICTURES”
Feature Photo Gallery in The Guardian | 2021 Photographer
Natives Photograph began in 2018 as a database of indigenous visual storytellers from across north America, providing a resource for those wishing to hire more inclusively – since mainstream narratives historically have been largely in the hands of non-indigenous people. Relaunched as Indigenous Photograph the site is expanding into a global community of photographers who seek to bring balance to the way stories are told about indigenous people.
NATIVE QUEER POETRY
Radio Show, Native America Calling | 2021 Radio Guest
A sampling of works by Indigenous LGBTQ2 poets, as well as discussion about how their deeply personal stories paint a vivid picture of adversity, strength, and their relationships with their culture and the world around them.
INDIGENOUS MATRIARCHS POETRY EVENT
Poetry Reading, Arizona State University Labriola Center | 2021 Event Host
Event description: Start the semester with Indigenous creativity. The Labriola Center with Two Spirit storyteller/creative writer Taté Walker (Mniconjou Lakota) would like to invite the ASU community to a Virtual Open House/Open Mic night: Indigenous Matriarch Poetry edition. Come listen to creative Indigenous voices online and learn about the Labriola Center. Local and regional writers will be sharing published and unpublished original work. We encourage community participation and welcome various subject matters.
THE GIFT
Traveling Art Exhibit, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies | 2021 Selected Poet
The Gift is based on a traditional Lakota narrative about when an emissary from the Pte Oyate (Buffalo Nation), White Buffalo Woman, gave a sacred pipe to the Itazipco Oyate, one of seven oyates of the Lakota division of the Oceti Sakowin Confederacy. In the Standing Rock Reservation in 1911, Lone Man shared the narrative, “The White Buffalo Calf Pipe (Ptehin’cala Canonpa),” with Frances Densmore who published it in 1918. It is a wondrous account. My poem explores the modern-day impact of White Buffalo Calf Woman.
QUEER POETRY SALON
Equality Arizona | 2020 Featured Poet
Event description: Equality Arizona is partnering with Arizona State University’s Virginia G. Piper Center for quarterly readings with a diverse, world-class cast of queer poets. We aim to strengthen and grow queer culture in Arizona by bringing the world's great LGBTQIA2s+ poets to our communities. In December, we are honored and delighted to feature an all-Indigenous cast of queer and trans poets. Tommy Pico, Jake Skeets & Smokii Sumac. Our readers will be introduced by Indigenous poets and artists from Arizona and Canada: Taté Walker, Cleo Kehna and Sareya Taylor.
SOUTH DAKOTA IN POEMS
South Dakota State Poetry Society | 2020 Anthology Poet
A capacious conversation among South Dakota and South Dakota-affiliated poets that speaks to our complex stories and experiences. Personal, political, historical, contemporary: this conversation in verse reflects the diverse lives of people who live here or have strong residential ties to the state.
MOMENTOUS HEALING FOR INDIGENOUS FUTURES
Breakthrough TV | 2020
Event description: Welcome to Breakthrough Spotlight, a video and podcast series featuring conversations with community leaders, activists, artists and partner organizations working to build a world that is more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable for all. In this conversation, we spotlight how COVID-19 is affecting Indigenous communities, and offer creative nourishment and healing. This conversation was recorded live on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, and was aired on Wednesday, July 29th, 2020 10am PT/ 1pm ET.
“IF THE CORONAVIRUS IS A WILDFIRE, COLONIALISM HAS FUELED THE BLAZE”
Op-ed Article for The Nation | 2020
Penned an article for national publication about the impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous communities.
“EVERYONE’S AN AUTHOR”
With Readings, 3rd Edition, W.W. Norton Anthology | 2020 Selected Journalist
Book description: Students today are writing more than ever. Everyone’s an Author bridges the gap between the writing students already do—online, at home, in their communities—and the writing they’ll do in college and beyond. It builds student confidence by showing that they already know how to think rhetorically and offers advice for applying those skills as students, professionals, and citizens. Because students are also reading more than ever, the third edition includes NEW advice for reading critically, engaging respectfully with others, and distinguishing facts from misinformation.
ARTICLES OF A TREATY
Traveling Art Exhibit, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies | 2019 Selected Poet
Articles of a Treaty focuses on the articles of the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty between the “different bands of the Sioux Nation of Indians” and the United States. The title is the first four words of the treaty. The 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty contains seventeen articles. Each article is interpreted by one or two artists. These thirty-two individuals are the visual artists of the exhibit. Poets and musicians also created works for Articles of a Treaty. There is one poem and one song associated with each article. Mine is one of 17 poems included in the exhibit.
VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS WOMXN: SEXISM, SETTLER COLONIALISM & THE STRUGGLE FOR HEALTH EQUITY
Health Equity Learning Series, The Colorado Trust | January 2019 Keynote Speaker
Event description: On Jan. 10, 2019, Taté Walker (they/them) presented on the violence and marginalization faced by Indigenous womxn*, primarily due to the ongoing, chronic impacts of settler colonialism. Walker, who is Lakota and a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, is an Indigenous rights activist and award-winning multimedia storyteller. Walker observed that the U.S. murder rate for Indigenous womxn in some tribal communities is 10 times the national average; that one in three Indigenous womxn will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime; and that domestic violence rates are seven times higher for Indigenous womxn than womxn from other demographics. Walker’s presentation provided context to these and other violent realities from cultural, historical, systemic and gender-based viewpoints, and they provided strategies for demanding and achieving justice for Indigenous womxn and their communities.
FIERCE: ESSAYS BY AND ABOUT DAUNTLESS WOMEN
Nauset Press | 2018 Essayist
Fierce: Essays by and About Dauntless Women features 13 writers discussing fierce womxn throughout history and from a variety of backgrounds. The book was released by Nauset Press on November 30, 2018. From the publisher: "Lakota writer and activist Taté Walker features Ptesáŋwiŋ (White Buffalo Calf Woman), from Lakota oral history in Origins. Ptesáŋwiŋ is invoked to weave a tale of pre- and post-colonial feminism with personal and political threads, a tale backed by statistical evidence. Walker’s storytelling will force an uncomfortable reckoning among readers of conscience with white and settler privilege, who—due to government-led genocide, media misrepresentation, and erasure of Indigenous people—often forget Indigenous women in their quest for justice. Origins compels readers to be better as allies, friends, and sisters."
NSPRA COMMUNICATIONS AWARD
National School Public Relations Association | 2018 National Marketing Honor
The postcard I designed to market my employer's event (Kindergarten Roundup) won an honorable mention from NSPRA, the National School Public Relations Association, during their annual awards recognition program, for which more than 1,000 entries were received. Everything about the postcard was my creation: The concept, the photograph, editing, text elements, production, and distribution. NSPRA also featured the Strategic Plan video I shot and produced in its weekly national newsletter.
UNCEDED HEARTS/UNCEDED MINDS
Northlight Gallery Photography Exhibition, Arizona State University | Co-Curator & Exhibitor
Here is the curatorial statement I wrote for the show: Unceded Hearts/Unceded Minds: Enduring Through Indigenous Photography represents a broad spectrum of experiential and creative images from artists living and learning in so-called Arizona. Displayed purposefully alongside portraits taken by Edward S. Curtis, who is quintessentially associated with artful—if romantically inaccurate—Indigenous imagery, the work of these artists explores the enduring power of perspective and self-representation through visual storytelling in ways that move viewers beyond one-dimensional depictions of a once-considered “vanishing race.” Enduring Through Indigenous Photography features the work of Jennifer Hubbell, Jacob Meders, Douglas Miles, Priscilla Tacheney, Taté Walker, and Indigenous students from Salt River High School and showcases Native narratives that empower audiences to reflect their own truths.
TAKUWE
Traveling Art Exhibit, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies | 2018 Selected Poet
Lakota word: Takuwe. In English: Why. The focus of this Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies exhibit is the 1890 massacre of Lakotas at Wounded Knee, but it will include historical context leading to the massacre, along with contemporary context related to land issues and opportunities at Wounded Knee today. I was one of seven poets (43 total artists) participating in this year's CAIRNS' exhibit. My poem, Root My Heart at Wounded Knee, plays on a similar title by Dee Brown , who depicts Natives primarily as pitiable victims. While that's not necessarily inaccurate (really, it's a great book), it's definitely not the whole story, especially when considering Wounded Knee's descendants.
TAPUN SA WIN
Traveling Art Exhibit, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies | 2017 Selected Poet
The Tapun Sa Win exhibit focuses on a short narrative based in part on a story by James LaPointe (Oglala Lakota) that is in his 1976 book, Legends of the Lakota. Our exhibit divides the 1,095-word narrative into seven “passages.” My poem, For Tapun Sa Win, was included in the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies' annual art exhibit. It centers the main character and reimagines her story as one of life and strength that I know Indigenous womxn to be filled with, rather than death and despair. Honoring the grand tradition of storytelling, my poem seeks to evolve and transform a womxn heretofore existing for the men in her life only (her husband, Waziya Wicahpi or the North Star, and her son Wicahpe Hihnpaya or Fallen Star). In my poem, Tapun Sa Win is a funny, fully-capable womxn who falls in love with someone who respects her enough to follow where she leads.
NATIVE AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
National Media Awards Winner | 2016, 2015, 2014
Awarded top prizes in the "Professional Division III" category (8,000+ daily circulation):
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1st Place - Best Column
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1st Place - Best Feature Photo
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1st Place - Best Feature Story
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3rd Place - Best Feature Story
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1st Place - Best Feature Story
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2nd Place - Excellence in Beat Reporting
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2nd Place - Best Column
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2nd Place - Best Feature Photo
2014
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1st Place - Best Feature Story
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2nd Place - Best Feature Story
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2nd Place - Excellence in Beat Reporting
GREAT RACE
Traveling Art Exhibit, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies | 2016 Selected Poet
The Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies put together an exhibit showcasing contemporary perspectives on the ancient story of the "Great Race," as retold by Lakota author James LaPointe in Legends of the Lakota (1976). "One of the innovative aspects of this exhibit is that each of the passages will be interpreted or illustrated by four types of artworks—a 2-D artwork, a 3-D artwork, a poem and a musical score or song—thereby creating what we are calling 'vignettes.' These eight vignettes will recount the Great Race narrative using LaPointe’s words along with artworks by 32 contemporary Lakota artists: eight poets, eight painters, eight musicians and eight 3-dimension artists." Here is more information about the specific vignette I interpreted into poetry: Sakpe.
KOPKIND
Political Camp/Retreat for Journalists & Activists, Vermont | 2015 Participant
About Kopkind: "The Kopkind Center is a living memorial to the late journalist Andrew Kopkind, who wrote on politics and culture with a matchless style and depth for national and international publications until his death, in 1994. The project, which brings together journalists and filmmakers and grassroots activists, puts on seminars in Guilford VT for its visiting participants in the summer and hosts a number of free public events. Kopkind is a non-profit educational foundation. The Board’s president is renown journalist JoAnn Wypijewski."
GREAT PLAINS WRITERS' CONFERENCE
Emerging Tribal Writer Award, South Dakota State University | 2013 Winner
Inaugeral winner for fictional short story about surviving sexual abuse as a child. The award encourages tribal storytellers in the early phases of their writing lives and to honor those of extraordinary merit and promise.
CITY OF SIOUX FALLS
Community Connections | Class of 2011
Selected as one of eight community members to participate in a six-month pilot program through the City’s Human Relations office.
SIOUX FALLS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Leadership Sioux Falls | Class of 2010
Selected as one of 25 participants for the Chamber’s premier leadership-building programs. Monthly sessions are highly interactive and thought provoking.
SOUTH DAKOTA JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Ten Outstanding Young South Dakotans | 2010 Award Recipient
Nominated and awarded this prestigious statewide honor for volunteerism and community service.
Keynotes, Workshops & Interviews
2023
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Storytelling Through Zine-Making (Cheyenne River Youth Project), Eagle Butte, SD, March 2023
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Judge: Indigenous Poets Contest (ASU Hayden's Ferry Review), Phoenix, AZ, March 2023
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How to Write Diverse Characters (Tempe Public Library) Tempe, AZ, March 2023
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Together in Color: Queer Poetry Workshop (one•n•ten) Phoenix, AZ, February 2023
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REPRODUCTIVE WRITES: A NIGHT OF FREE EXPRESSION, FUN, AND BODY AUTONOMY (PEN America Arizona), Phoenix, AZ, January 2023
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An Evening with Abalone Mountain Press (Birchbark Books), Virtual, January 2023
2022
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RISE: Monarch Art Installation (Cahokia), Phoenix, AZ, December 2022
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Open Mic Featuring Taté Wallker (Journal of Expressive Writing), Virtual, December 2022
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LGBTQ+ Book Club (Salt River Tribal Library), Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, AZ, December 2022
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Indigenous Futurism through Unapologetic Poetics (Facing Race/Race Forward) Phoenix, AZ, November 2022
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Poetry Workshop with Taté Walker (Cheyenne River Youth Project) Eagle Butte, SD, November 2022
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Lakota Storytelling (The Fry Bread House, Phoenix), November, 2022
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Indigenous Nations Month Kick-Off event (Mesa Community College) Mesa, AZ, November 2022
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#LandBack with Taté Walker (Organization of Nature Evolutionaries), Virtual, October 2022
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Indigenous Peoples Day presentations and readings (California State University, Stanislaus), October 2022
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Indigenous Peoples Day Phoenix Fest poetry reading (Cahokia), October 2022
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Indigenous Peoples Day Arizona cleanup and poetry reading, October 2022
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Poetry Rooted in Culture (South Dakota Festival of Books) Brookings, SD, September 2022
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Banned Books Week (PEN America Arizona), September 2022
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Open Mic with Chelsea T. Hicks (ASU Labriola) Tempe, AZ, September 2022
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3 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Learning an Indigenous Language as a Non-Native (translated and presented at the the World Esperanto Congress) Montreal, Canada, August 2022
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Taté Walker Talks ‘The Trickster Riots’ and Collaborating With Family (O'odham Action News), August 2022
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Yoo’tó Beaded Water Poetry Reading (IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts), Santa Fe, NM, August 2022
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"my pronouns are super/nova" (Pipe Wrench Magazine), August 2022
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Disrupting the Poetry World (Abalone Mountain Press Podcast), August 2022
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No One is a Constellation by Themself (H.E.R. Medicine Shop) Scottsdale, AZ, July 2022
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Six Directions Poetry Talks with Indigequeer Poets (Lighthouse Writers Workshop), virtual, July 2022
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Joys of Queerness and the Word: Indigequeer Poetry Reading (PEN America Arizona), Phoenix, AZ, June 2022
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The Trickster Riots by Taté Walker & Ohíya Walker (Lakota Times), June 2022
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LGTBQ2S+ Reporting (Native American Journalism Fellowship), virtual, June 2022
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The Trickster Riots Book Launch (Palabras Bilingual Bookstore), Phoenix, AZ, June 2022
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First Friday Pride Night Poetry Reading & Drag Show (Heard Museum), Phoenix, AZ, June 2022
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National Poetry Month: Ceremonial Poetics (ASU's Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing), virtual, April 2022
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Cultural Appropriation & Sage (Pre-Health Integrative & Holistic Quantum Club at Arizona State University), Phoenix, AZ, April 2022
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Judge: 2022 Curt Johnson Prose Awards (December magazine), February 2022
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Tipi Confessions (Toronto Queer Film Festival), February 2022
2021
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Indigenous Photograph 2021 Year in Pictures (Indigenous Photograph), December 2021
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Violence Against Indigenous Relatives: Settler Colonialism’s Impacts Then & Now (Brookings [SD] Public Library), virtual, November 2021
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Indigenous Rights Radio: Pride Month - An Interview With Taté Walker (Cultural Survival), June 2021
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"Recognizing Spiritual Commodification In Wellness And The Digital Age" (Regenerative Travel), May 2021
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Indigenous Photograph: a resource for visual storytelling – in pictures (The Guardian), February 2021
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The Gift (Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies), January 2021
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Indigenous Matriarchs Poetry Event (Arizona State University Labriola Center), January 2021
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Queer Native Poetry (Native America Calling), January 2021
2020
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Queer Poetry Salon (Equality Arizona), December 2020
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Emerging Beyond Genocidal Colonization, feat. Simon Ortiz (Voices of Modern Poetry & Literature), November 2020
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Trickster Medicine: Reimagining Indigenous Relations & Futures (Southern Utah University), Cedar City, UT, November 2020
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South Dakota in Poems Book Premiere (South Dakota Festival of Books), October 2020
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Indigenous Peoples Day Poetry Reading (Indigenous Peoples Day Arizona), Phoenix, AZ, October 2020
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Queer Indigenous Poetics publication (Anomaly), July 2020
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Momentous Healing for Indigenous Futures (Breakthrough TV), July 2020
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If the Coronavirus Is a Wildfire, Colonialism Has Fueled the Blaze (The Nation), May 2020
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Everyone’s an Author With Readings, 3rd Edition (W.W. Norton Anthology), April 2020
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Spoken Medicine (K'é Main Street Learning Lab), January 2020
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Phoenix Youth Poet Laureate Reading (ASU's Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing), January 2020
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First Friday Poetry Slam (Heard Museum), January 2020
2019
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Indigenous Peoples' Day Poetry Reading (Phoenix Art Museum), October 2019
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Asdzáá resistDANCE (Palabras Bilingual Bookstore), August 2019
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Violence Against Indigenous Womxn: Sexism, Settler Colonialism & the Struggle for Health Equity (Health Equity Learning Series, The Colorado Trust), Denver, CO, January 2019
2018
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MediaINDIGENA Roundtable (Episodes 39, 40, 41 & 43, 63, 70, 75, 76, 79, 80, 82, 84, 86, 122, and 123), 2016-2018
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Root My Heart at Wounded Knee (Takuwe exhibit, CAIRNS), South Dakota, May 2018
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Racism in Sports & Media (Committee of 500 Years of Dignity & Resistance) Cleveland, OH, April 2018
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Unceded Hearts/Unceded Minds (Arizona State University Northlight Gallery), Phoenix, AZ, March 2018
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Honoring Indigenous Women (V-Week at the Phoenix Center for the Arts), Phoenix, AZ, February 2018
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Non-religious Inclusion in Interfaith Activism (Creating Change), Washington, DC, January 2018
2017
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Phoenix-Area Indigenous Activist Weighs In On Confederate Monuments (KJZZ Radio), Phoenix, AZ, August 2017
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For Tapun Sa Win (Tapun Sa Win exhibit, Journey Museum), South Dakota, May 2017
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Moving Past the Thanksgiving Fairytale and the Discovery Myth: The Importance of Teaching Indigenous Histories AND Not Your Cliché: A Look at the Stereotypes Plaguing Tribal Communities (St. Joseph's Indian School teachers and staff training), South Dakota, March 2017
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Native Misrepresentation in Media (Unapologetic Feminist Conference, University of Akron), Ohio, March 2017
2016
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Standing Up for the Standing Rock Sioux (Media Indigena), November 2016
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Moving Past the Thanksgiving Fairytale (College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University), Minnesota, November 2016
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Two Spirits and Indigenous Feminisms + #NoDAPL (two presentations given at California State University, Fresno), California, November 2016
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The Importance of Incorporating Lakota Culture into Juvenile Justice Programming (Disproportionate Minority Contact Conference), Sioux Falls, SD, October 2016
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Writing for the Media: A Hands-On Workshop (AIANTA: American Indian/Alaska Native Tourism Association), Tulalip, Wash., September 2016
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Two Spirits and Surviving Love (two presentations given at Colgate University), New York, September 2016
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The Lakota Ouroboros, or Embracing My Inner Snake (Great Race exhibit, Journey Museum), South Dakota, May 2016
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Reclaim the Narrative: The Native ME in Media (Racing Magpie), South Dakota, May 2016
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On Pop Culture & Native Americans (SDPB Dakota Midday guest), May 2016
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Lakota Origins (Longview Elementary School), Arizona, April 2016
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Surviving Love (Hamline University), Minnesota, April 2016
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It's Like Muggles Writing About Wizards (Native America Calling guest), March 2016
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Surviving Love (Cornell College), Iowa, March, 2016
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Native Women from 1492 to Today (Colby College), Maine, March 2016
2015
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Top 5 Things You Don't Know About Indian Country (National Security Agency), Colorado, Nov. 2015
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Native Activism & Allyship (Kopkind Retreat), Vermont, July 2015
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What Makes Us Native (Native America Calling guest), June 2015
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Digital Smoke Signals: Using Social Media to Empower Lakota Storytelling (UNITY: Journalists for Diversity), South Dakota, May 2015
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HIV/AIDS Awareness (CPCD Head Start), Colorado, March 2015
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Indigenous 101: The Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Native Americans (CPCD Head Start), Colorado, Feb. 2015
2014 & Earlier
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LGBTQI2A+ Awareness (CPCD Head Start), Colorado, Nov. 2014
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Crazy Horse Project (Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs), Oct., 2014
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Social Media Activism in Indian Country (Native American Journalists Association), California, June 2014
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Native American Gender & Sexuality (PFLAG), South Dakota, Nov. 2013
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Lakota Cultural Competency (Wells Fargo Employee Training), South Dakota, Nov. 2013
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Two Spirits (PFLAG Conference), South Dakota, Sept. 2013
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Lakota Culture (Dakota State University), South Dakota, Aug. 2013
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Two Spirits, Diversity Symposium (University of South Dakota), April 2013
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Great Plains Emerging Tribal Writer (South Dakota State University Great Plains Writers’ Conference), South Dakota, March 2013
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Native American Monthly Competency Series, Various Topics (Volunteers of America Dakotas), South Dakota, March 2012-Dec. 2013
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Exploring Forces that Support Systemic Oppression (Sioux Falls Annual Diversity Conference), South Dakota, Nov. 2012
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Diversity in Religion (Sioux Falls Annual Diversity Conference), South Dakota, Nov. 2012
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Service Learning: Math Curriculum That Incorporates Native American Culture (Augustana College), South Dakota, March 2012
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Diversity Series: Race, Class, and Gender (Dakota State University), South Dakota, Fall 2011-Spring 2012
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Cultural Diversity For Medical Students (University of South Dakota), Spring Semester 2010, 2011, and 2012