This Indigenous icon is honoring her culture through art and advocacy
Yang
Yang is an Indigenous multimedia artist who uses photography, videography and modeling in her storytelling. As a model, she supports and uplifts Indigenous, LGB2Q+, and woman-owned businesses & designers. She uses her platform to advocate for important issues impacting her community, including reproductive rights, climate justice, and the Land Back movement.
What does feminism mean to you?
Feminism to me is social justice with collective community action, it’s about diversity, intersectionality, systematic and structural change. I believe we can help protect the world and our communities from a matriarchal perspective.
We love how passionate you are about honoring your culture. What are some of your favorite things about being Diné and Xicana?
One of my favorite things about being Dine and Xicana is the connection and relationship my cultures have to the earth and universe. I really love the rich vegetation, farms and medicines that grow in the southwest— the ancient knowledge of agricultural, recipes and remedies that have been passed on for generations. I’m inspired by my ancestors and their art that powerfully continues to shares our stories, traditions, history and livelihoods for thousands of years.
The stories that you tell through your content are so powerful and inspiring. What inspired you to become a storyteller?
I’ve always been inspired to become a storyteller by the strength, resiliency and stories of my ancestors. At a young age I had to acknowledge the harsh reality that as an Indigenous woman we are 2.5x more likely to experience violence and assault. I have to share my story and use my voice to support, uplift and advocate for injustices that harm our communities. I understand advocating for social justice comes with a huge responsibility of being a messenger and I acknowledge that this work puts me at risk of facing negative comments, harassment and death threats. But this work is vital to help protect, advocate and share important resources we all need to continue protecting the earth and our communities. Being Indigenous we have a sacred duty to continue to pass on ancestral knowledge to the next generation—so they may continue to protect the land and communities.
You’re a multi talented artist with a passion for photography, videography, and modeling. What were some of your favorite art and advocacy projects to create?
My favorite art project I recently started creating is a series of photographs exploring cultural identity and how it connects us to our future. I love creating content around art, culture, advocacy and lifestyle. An advocacy project that I really enjoyed creating is a series collaboration project that educates folks on reproductive rights.
You speak a lot about supporting the Land Back movement. What does Land Back mean to you?
Land Back is an Indigenous-led movement that aims to return ancestral lands to the original stewards, to decolonize our connection to earth, to rematriate and reestablish our sovereignty for sustainable management and care. It's a vital movement to protect the people and earth from the harms of colonialism and the climate crisis.
Conversations online can get pretty heated, especially when it comes to social justice topics. As someone who regularly engages in online activism, how do you deal with negativity?
I deal with a lot of negativity and racism from all across my social media platforms. A few ways I deal with negativity is by reporting, blocking, and deleting—I get off social media, create art, go outside, read and I always affirm myself that the work I do is important and helps protect the earth and communities.
What are some everyday practices that you use to maintain your mental health and avoid activism burnout?
Some mental everyday practices I do are always spending time with those I love, affirming myself, creating art, reading, going outdoors, and using traditional medicines to keep myself grounded. I’m a huge creative head, so I like to keep myself busy with different projects to avoid burnout and artist block. I set my goals and intentions, plan, practice the skills, collaborate and bring the projects to life.
What actions should allies take to support Indigenous rights?
There are so many actions allies can take to support Indigenous rights by listening, uplifting, donating and most importantly supporting Indigenous people, organizations, youth, and lands.
