by Amanda Ong
On Friday, June 23, from 4 to 8 p.m., the second annual Indigiqueer Festival will take place in celebration of Pride month and Indigeneity at Pier 62. The festival sets itself apart from other Pride events in that it has been organized by and for Seattle-area queer Indigenous people, with a drag show, art market, and food vendors.
“The term ‘Indigiqueer’ mashes up words in kind of a similar way to how I understand my queer experience,” Jordan Remington (Quileute), also known by their drag persona Hailey Tayathy and organizer of the Inidigiqueer Festival, told the South Seattle Emerald. “You have to understand my Indigenous experience and [my queer experience] and vice versa. So just sort of recognizing those identities [and] the way that they interact with each other.”
The lineup focuses on performers from the Pacific Northwest, such as dancers Aiyana Reid (Cowlitz) and Sierra Tasi Baker (Squamish). The festival’s entirely Indigenous drag lineup includes Cherri Bepsi, Baby, Genesis Storm, DuckHunt, Gila Suspectum, Koko Swallowz, and Hailey Tayathy. This will also be its first year with art vendors, featuring queer and Native artists’ beadwork, pottery, and more. Food will be offered by Native Soul Cuisine, a Native-owned catering group.
“One thing that we really loved about last year’s event was really just seeing how many Indigenous people came out to it,” Remington said. “That was really touching. So that’s something we do want to keep with for future years, trying to really keep it rooted within the queer, Indigenous community. … Anyone is welcome, but recognize what kind of space you’re picking up in that area.”
The event was organized in conjunction with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, which came to Remington last year while working on an Indigenous Joy Campaign to create Indigenous art exhibitions. Eventually, this evolved into an idea for a performing arts festival — and while Remington says they realized many queer Indigenous Seattle residents venture down to San Francisco for the Two-Spirit Powwow, they wanted to make their performing arts space a queer space in Seattle too.
“I have to imagine it’s the largest queer Indigenous event in the region,” Remington said. “[It’s] just really giving a chance for queer Indigenous people to sort of gather together, celebrate our community. And also just highlight some of the amazing work that queer Indigenous artists are doing in this region.”
This spotlight on queer Native people is important, especially considering the increased anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the past few years. “I don’t think [a general audience] even necessarily realize that they’re in danger. So we’re going to be shining a highlight on our communities,” Remington said.
The event has been truly built from the ground up with the talent of the queer Indigenous community. This year, it is also going to have a walk-off competition in the spirit of challenge songs of the Coast Salish tribes, in which you can challenge someone else in a competition for the prizes. It is also meant to give people a chance to interact with other people who are there at the festival, which Remington hopes will have an even greater turnout of Indigenous folks, queer or not, than last year.
“I didn’t realize how meaningful that would be to me to see the community come together in the way it did last year,” Remington said. “Growing up, I didn’t really ever see queer Indigenous representation. And then even when I started doing drag, I was the only Indigenous drag artist that I knew of at the time. And so being able to create that space where other queer Indigenous people can see themselves represented and continuing to grow the community just to provide that representation I didn’t see [is important]. [We] build connections … so queer Indigenous artists can meet each other and get connected and hopefully do cool things outside of the festival as well.”
Kick off Pride month at the Indigiqueer Festival on Friday, June 23, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Pier 62 on 1951 Alaskan Way.
Amanda Ong (she/her) is a Chinese American writer from California. She is currently a master’s candidate at the University of Washington Museology program and graduated from Columbia University in 2020 with degrees in creative writing and ethnicity and race studies.
📸 Featured Image: Koko Swallowz performs at last year’s Indigiqueer Festival at Pier 62. The all-Indigenous drag show has brought in performers from around the Pacific Northwest. (Photo: Robert Wade)
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