S3/E2 STEPH LITTLEBIRD

Back when we were working on our feature with Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest for PMA007, she very graciously wrote and recorded this poem for us. This seems like a perfect time to unveil it and a wonderful way to end this season of the PMA Podcast!

EJ Miller-Larson speaks with Landa Lakes, a Chickasaw writer, musician, activist and artist. They are a drag queen and community organizer whose work spans decades and transcends genres. They founded multiple drag performance groups along the West Coast, serve on the board of the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits, and co-founded the Weaving Spirits Native Art Festival.

EJ Miller-Larson speaks with Jackie Fawn, a Yurok, Washoe, and Filipino graphic artist and activist whose work I first discovered in 2018 through the illustrations she created in solidarity with the Mni Wiconi movement. The power of Jackie’s work lies not only in her skill as an artist, but in her focus on community. (@fishbearstudios)

EJ Miller-Larson speaks with Steph Littlebird, a Chinook and Kalapuya illustrator, painter, writer, curator, and Indigenous rights advocate whose illustrative work ranges all the way from children’s books like the critically acclaimed “My Powerful Hair” to museum exhibits. They were keen to share their experiences in those spaces and beyond. (@artnerdforever)

This third season of the PMA podcast is a very special series. Hosted by EJ Miller-Larson, an Anishinaabe and Onʌyoteˀa·ká· writer and illustrator from the upper Midwest of what is now called the United States, Season Three presents a series of conversations with four Indigenous artists who have used their talent and dedication to raise awareness for a variety of issues within and beyond their communities.

What do you do when you’ve been laid off from your design gig, but you are one of the world’s most qualified and passionate experts on a technology that has origins dating back to 1040 AD? If you’re Jenny Wilkson, you start a non-profit that empowers individuals and communities with the skills to creatively express themselves through the literally ancient art of letterpress printing (during Covid). In our final episode of this season, we took a walk with Jenny through Seattle’s Discovery Park to discuss her life and the non-profit she has played such a pivotal role in building, Partners In Print.

Valerie Stunning has been down with PMA since day one. She was in our inaugural issue, as a shining example of someone who is bucking the norm and creating lasting change while living a life that meets the very high standards set by her own personal code of excellence. As a (former) sex worker, advocate, community organizer, entrepreneur, thinker, and empath, Valerie stands above the crowd as a force to be reckoned with in the world of empowering those who society would attempt to marginalize. We recently caught up with Valerie as she embarks on yet another adventure, to look back on the last 5 years and to gaze into the exciting future that lies ahead.

Ellen runs an organization called Forgotten Dogs Rescue (forgottendogsrescue.com), which focuses on Pit Bulls and related dogs who are abandoned in shelters. And why Pit Bulls? “Because they are the dogs who need our help the most,” Ellen says. There are more of these dogs in shelters than any other breed. They are misunderstood, misrepresented, and in the most danger of being euthanized. Though Ellen is the Executive Director of Forgotten Dogs Rescue she is not the founder. Seven years ago, she went to a comedy event sponsored by FDR, and started volunteering with them. It turned out that she had essential skills that the organization needed (she has degrees in accounting and creative writing, and worked as an HR manager in the videogame industry). It wasn’t long before she became the central organizing force at FDR, and is now officially their leader. The rewards of the program are not just for the dogs, Ellen observes. People benefit immeasurably. Dogs are the models of unconditional love. And dogs know how to live in the moment. It’s really about improving the lives of everyone involved.

When Matt Reynolds became a parent, he did what all parents in Hawai’i do, which is to just take your kids surfing with you. Duh. But Matt’s son Heimana had other plans. At a very early age, he gravitated toward surfing’s cousin, skateboarding. Rising to the occasion, not only did Matt put everything he had into supporting his son’s skate obsession, he decided that while he was teaching Heimana, he may as well teach other kids. Through the urging of his wife Samantha, the Reynolds ‘ohana created Hawai’i’s first and only indoor skateboarding school, board shop, and training facility. Fast-forward to today, Heimana and Matt are continuing to push each other to progress as exceptional human beings, while passing on their gifts to a whole new generation of youth through skateboarding.

Jewel Ifeguni wants to improve the human race. Her creative vision encourages us all to drop our bias and judgement for the way someone looks or what they do. Her personal experience with bias, especially in the tech world, inspired Jewel to create her own media company. As founder and CEO of YouMatter Studios, Jewel is building an inclusive world where everyone understands, advocates, and truly believes that YOU MATTER.Jewel’s journey is only beginning yet she has already done more than most people twice her age, and she did it all with the intention of uplifting those around her at every turn.Please check out our latest episode where we trace the roots of Jewel’s empathy, dig in to how she has overcome some serious challenges, and walk in the shoes of one of this generation’s brightest new leaders.