Two Spirit, Indigenous, Trans, Queer, & Intersex-Centered

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Los Angeles Two Spirit, Indigenous, Trans, Queer, & Intersex-Centered

Los Angeles city and county prides itself in being a place where many Two Spirit, Indigenous, Trans, Queer, & Intersex communities gather and meet.

Please boost our communities’ visibility by submitting your organization's events and news.

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Community Calendar

The Music Center Presents: The Chapter House Indigenous Peoples' Day Party
Oct
19

The Music Center Presents: The Chapter House Indigenous Peoples' Day Party

hosted by:

The Music Center

Location:

Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center

135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

RSVP/Tickets:

Free but let the organizers know you’re coming at

https://www.musiccenter.org/tickets-free-events/tmc-arts/the-chapter-house-indigenous-peoples-day-party/

General Information:

Coinciding with Grand Ave Arts: All Access, one of L.A.’s longest-running, free open house experiences for arts and culture exploration in Downtown Los Angeles, The Music Center will host a live drumming performance, live DJ sets, art workshops as well as the return of the marketplace—on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center.

Performances by: DJ Brian Frejo; Hale & Company Drum Group; Native Voices in residence with Center Theatre Group; comedians and storytellers: Joey Clift, Solange Aguilar and Gigi Modrich

Marketplace Vendors: Solange Aguilar, Joolie Fiveash, Sierra Edd, and Tekenya Sanchez

Art Workshops: Coloring with Blue Bird Flour design outlines with The Chapter House; block printing workshop with meztli projects; “Tovaa'ngar - Toongvey Tribal Ancestral Lands” workshop with Virginia Carmelo; Ethical Sage Harvesting workshop with Nolan Eskeets

Artwork by: Mercedes Dorame

Food Offerings: Cuisine and conversation with Chef Pyet DeSpain

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The Indigenous Fashion Collective – Education Day & Block Party
Oct
14

The Indigenous Fashion Collective – Education Day & Block Party

Location:

Volume Studios

8729 Aviation Blvd, Inglewood CA 90301

RSVP/Tickets:

https://indigenousfashioncollective.org/calendar/

General Information:

Welcome to The Indigenous Fashion Collective - Education Day + Block Party. Free with Membership!

Whether you’re interested in fashion, education, or community activism, there’s something for everyone at this inclusive event. Join us to connect, learn, and celebrate the vibrant culture and creativity of Indigenous Peoples!

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2024 Sunland-Tujunga Indigenous Peoples Day
Oct
13

2024 Sunland-Tujunga Indigenous Peoples Day

  • 12400 Big Tujunga Canyon Road Los Angeles, CA, 91042 United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Location:

12400 Big Tujunga Canyon Road, Tujunga, CA 91042

RSVP/Tickets:

Free

General Information:

On October 13, 2024, the fourth annual Indigenous Peoples Day will take place in Big Tujunga Canyon under the Mother Oak. Please join the educational and participatory event of music, dance, storytelling and spoken word celebrating the historic and contemporary cultures and wisdom of our local Tongva, Tataviam, Chumash, other native populations of California, and the Americas who make LA home.

A festival informed by workshops, gifted with craft, fed by fry bread and lifted up by the life-saving environmental worldview of the Indigenous.

Please, BRING CASH for food, beverages, and vendor purchases . There is no reception in the area for electronic transactions!!

This event is free and open for all to attend.

Presenters and Workshop Facilitators:

TINA CALDERON

Tina Orduno Calderon is a Culture Bearer for her family; the descendants of Komiikranga of the Santa Monica mountains which is shared territory for the Chumash and Tongva. Tina is wife, mother, grandmother, sister and auntie to many.

Tina is a singer who also enjoys creative writing and composing poems and songs. To date she has composed over a dozen songs in her ancestral languages of Tongvé and Chumash.

Additionally, Tina is a traditional dancer and storyteller who strongly believes in honoring her ancestors by sharing their history, educating others about Indigenous truths and inspiring others to respect the land, waters, sacred elements and environment.

TED AND DENNIS GARCIA

Ted Garcia Jr. and his younger brother Dennis Garcia

(Tataviam/Chumash/Serrano) teach about traditional lifeways through song and storytelling. Enrolled with the Fernandeño-Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, Ted and Dennis Garcia trace their ancestry to individuals who lived at Chaguayabit village (today’s Castaic Junction) and elsewhere in the greater Santa Clarita Valley, southern Antelope Valley and San Fernando Valley at the time of European contact in 1769 and for a thousand years before that.

Ted Garcia, a spiritual advisor to the annual Hart of the West Powwow at William S. Hart Park in Newhall, is also an accomplished stone carver. Dennis Garcia is a traditional native dancer who gives presentations at L.A. area schools, The Autry, Satwiwa Native American Indian Cultural Center in Newbury Park and elsewhere.

VIRGINIA CARMELO

Virginia Carmelo was born in Orange County, California. Her paternal side is Gabrielino/Tongva and Digueno/Kumeyaay tribes. Virginia received her B.A. from CSU, Fullerton, in Ethnic Studies. During that time, being influenced by and involved in the social movements of the sixties, she began dance studies that led her to study indigenous dance with two prominent masters in the Los Angeles area. Currently, they take part in preserving and sharing the Tongva culture. The family endeavors to revitalizeTongva tribal song, dance, and regalia.

Today, the group “Toveema” can be seen performing both ancient and modern tribal song and dance at many prominent venues throughout Southern California. They take pride in the making of all regalia and instruments, using natural indigenous materials.

LAZARO ARVIZU

Lazaro Arvizu Jr. is an artist, educator, musician, and researcher dedicated to the culture of the first people of Los Angeles. Born in the Los Angeles Basin, he is knowledgeable of the landscape and cosmology of the Gabrieleno culture. He has worked for over 20 years facilitating creative and meaningful cultural experiences to people of all ages and walks of life, in many venues.

MEZTLI PROJECTS

Meztli Projects is an Indigenous based arts & culture collaborative centering Indigeneity into the creative practice of Los Angeles by using arts-based strategies to support, advocate for, and organize to highlight Native and Indigenous Artists and systems-impacted youth. 
Meztli Projects operates out of Apachianga (East Los Angeles) in Tovaangar (Los Angeles County), lands stewarded since time immemorial by families and villages now known as the Acjachemen, Chumash, Tataviam and Tongva Tribal Nations.

CHRISTOPHER GARCIA

Christopher Garcia is a native of East Los Angeles, and a critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, improviser, composer, lecturer, and "musical polyglot", with concerts in 28 countries on 5 continents either on drumset, marimba, percussion of India or Indigenous breath, string, and percussion instruments of Mesoamerica.

In 1979 he received a full scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts but left after 18 months after receiving invitations to MAKE MUSIC in very different musical worlds.

An independent professional creative musician, he continues to compose, improvise, and lecture for a who's who in the world of music and provide for his FAMILIA, as he is also a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

CHEF LOUIE

​Raised in Boyle Heights, Chef Louie's journey is deeply rooted in his Navajo and Apache heritage. His grandmother (age 103) is a living repository of Navajo tradition and boarding school stories, and has been a guiding light in his life. Inspired by his grandmother's resilience, Chef Louie, along with his son, embarked on a culinary journey by attending culinary school. Through his passion for food, he keeps his family's heritage close to his heart. Despite never venturing beyond the borders of the United States, Louie is a champion for refugees and asylum seekers, understanding the displacement they face from their indigenous lands.

Chef Louie's journey is a testament to the power of heritage, family, and resilience. His story is one of cultural preservation, empathy, and using one's platform to make a positive impact on the world.

XIOMARA DURAN

Xiomara Durán works as a Community Forestry Coordinator for urban greening projects in the San Fernando Valley. She loves volunteering especially when it helps to address climate change and environmental justice. She is mixed with European and Pipil (El Salvador) heritage.

AZTLAN UNDERGROUND

​Aztlan Underground is a fusion band from Los Angeles. Since the early 1990s, Aztlan Underground has played Rapcore. Indigenous drums, flutes, and rattles are commonplace in its musical compositions. This unique sound is the backdrop for the band's message of dignity for indigenous people, all of humanity, and Earth.

DYANN DOMINGUEZ​​

A proud member of the Chumash community, Dyann is also known as Wyann Womin, or Smuwič in her native language. Her ancestral villages are in Santa Barbara and Ventura. She is a member of the Chumash Cultural Collective, where she works with Indigenous sisters to preserve traditions and culture through Indigenous language, song, and dance. As a Certified California Naturalist and Climate Steward, she dedicates herself to protecting the land and water entrusted to by her ancestors, passionate about passing on Traditional Ecological knowledge to the next generation.

GERARDO BARRIENTOS

​Mexican Immigrant, Artist, sculptor, ceramicist, muralist, wood carver, activist and community leader. In a journey from survival, to freedom, to make creative contributions.

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The Music Center Presents: The Chapter House Indigenous Peoples' Day Party
Oct
12

The Music Center Presents: The Chapter House Indigenous Peoples' Day Party

hosted by:

The Music Center

Location:

Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center

135 N Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012

RSVP/Tickets:

Free but let the organizers know you’re coming at

https://www.musiccenter.org/tickets-free-events/tmc-arts/the-chapter-house-indigenous-peoples-day-party/

General Information:

Free parking for first 400 cars
Angelenos can shop at a vibrant marketplace on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center, connect to local Indigenous-serving resource groups, participate in artist-led workshops and story-sharing and view artwork and live performances featuring the rich cultural heritage and contemporary expressions of Indigenous communities.
Performances By: Emcee & DJ Val the Vandle, Navajo country band Dirt Rhodes, Hale & Company Drum Group, and Native Voices in residence with Center Theatre Group

Marketplace Vendors: Neon Navajo, Joolie Fiveash, Tekenya Sanchez, and Lauren Nicole Creations

Art Workshops: Coloring with Blue Bird Flour design outlines with The Chapter House, stencil-painting with Ernesto Yerena and acorn beading meztli projects.

Artwork by: Mercedes Dorame

Community Organizations: California Native Vote Project, The Chapter House, Indigenous Circle of Wellness, Sacred Path Indigenous Wellness Center, So’oh-Shinálí Sister Project, CIELO, L.A. County Library American Indian Resource Center, Native Ways to College

Food Offerings: Cuisine and conversation with Chef Pyet DeSpain

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Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2024
Oct
12

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2024

hosted by:

Getty Center

Location:

Getty Center

1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049

RSVP/Tickets:

https://www.getty.edu/visit/cal/events/ev_4278.html

General Information:

In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Getty hosts its third annual family event to learn about Southern California's vibrant Native American cultures. The theme this year celebrates flora, with activities sharing traditional and contemporary Indigenous perspectives and narratives.

ACTIVITIES

  • Experiment with solar exposures in a cyanotype activity led by Metzli Projects

  • Make your own Tongva clapper stick with Gabrielino artist, educator, and musician Lazaro Arvizu, Jr.

MUSIC

  • Celebrate with performers from the Wildhorse Native American Association as they demonstrate traditional dance styles and songs

  • Dance along to music performed by Flower Songs (Xochi Cuicatl in Nahuatl), musicians showcasing Indigenous instruments, poetry, and languages of Mesoamerica

FOOD

FILM

  • Experience films by performance artist, visual artist, and composer Kite (Oglála Lakȟóta), screening throughout the day in the Museum Lecture Hall

POETRY

TOURS

  • Join Herb Club LA’s Andrea Jimenez (Chichimeca, Maya) for a garden tour highlighting how to identify native California plants

  • Navigate the Getty Center gardens using a plant guide illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre (Tongva, Scottish) and learn about preserving and protecting white sage (Latin: Salvia apiana; Tongva: Kasili)

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

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Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day
Oct
12

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day

Location:

Sycamore Grove Park

4702 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042

RSVP/Tickets:

N/A

General Information:

Join us for a celebration of the rich history and culture of Indigenous peoples' on Saturday, October 2nd from 10am to 2pm in Sycamore Grove Park (4702 N Figueroa St). We hope to see you there!

Acompáñanos a celebrar la historia y cultura de los pueblos indígenas este sábado 2 de octubre de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. en el parque Sycamore Grove (4702 N Figueroa St.). ¡Los esperamos!

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QUEER LIBERASIAN: A Filip-Indigenous Special Edition
Aug
24
to Aug 25

QUEER LIBERASIAN: A Filip-Indigenous Special Edition

8.24 QUEER LIBERASIAN: A Filip-Indigenous Special Edition—in support of @IndigenousPrideLA. 🇵🇭🪶

Calling all BIPOC queer/trans hotties who wanna party for our liberation! 🔥 We’re not having our usual all queer Asian cast, but instead a special half FILIPINO and half INDIGENOUS lineup of performers! Performances will be followed with a dance party led by the hottest queer DJs with cocktails at our fierce specialty OPEN BAR!

Tickets are $8 and are purchased via Venmo to @itsjustdrey. Once paid, fill out the form at bit.ly/QL824 and your spot on the guestlist is secured! 🤎🧡

✨ 100% of ticket proceeds will go directly to @indigenouspridela, a Los Angeles based Indigenous organization that creates spaces and resources for Two Spirit, Indigiqueer, and LGBTQIA+ peoples. ✨

🔥 LIMITED CAPACITY, secure your spot at: bit.ly/QL824

🔥 Queer LiberAsian is the nation’s only queer Asian-centered nightlife party and showcase where 100% of event proceeds at every show ALWAYS go directly into mutual aid funds to support local community organizations dedicated to fighting for the liberation of queer peoples of color. More than a party, more than a show, we are a home for the community to further the fight toward our liberation.

We are proud to have raised over $25,000 through this show, creating funds that have been allocated to so many amazing community organizations across the country.✊🏽

❤️‍🔥 HOSTED BY:

ANDRE LAWES MENCHAVEZ @itsjustdrey

❤️‍🔥 PERFORMANCES BY:

AIANA SHAW @aianashaw

BOHENNE ARREAUX @bohennearreaux

DAPHNE SUMMERS FERRAGAMO @daphne.summers.ferragamo

HG DANCE TEAM @homegrownproject_

SKIRT COCAINE @skirtcocaine

THE HOUSE OF MENCHAVEZ @briansm.th @jiniraesae @mylesmawa @shade_moore

YZA LICKY VISION @yzalickyvision

❤️‍🔥 PHOTOGRAPHY BY:

DEREK LAI @derklai

As Queer LiberAsian is an event for the community and by the community, feel free to reach out to our host @itsjustdrey if you have any difficulties affording the ticket price. ♥️ our space is for us all.

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Intertribal Two Spirit Call to Action Meeting
Aug
1

Intertribal Two Spirit Call to Action Meeting

Calling all Two Spirit Leaders of Societies, Collectives, & Organizations!

Join Indigenous Pride LA in a grand intertribal call to action meeting on issues affecting the Two Spirit, Indigiqueer, & Indigenous LGBTQPAI+ communities throughout North America.

Meeting will be held online on Thursday August 1, 2024 at 1PM PDT/2PM MDT/ 3PM CDT/4PM EDT for 2 hours.

For more information & to request to join the meeting, please contact us or RSVP using the link below.

RSVP (requires valid email): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfygTVYrtLZJvjgrc1A_O5JcsDAb58CXp4LwHr9BCST5-wbMg/viewform?usp=sf_link

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