5 Questions with Tanaya Winder of the Reach The Rez Campaign

[Wetzelbill]

5 Questions with Tanaya Winder of the Reach The Rez Campaign

1. Can you tell us a little about As/Us journal and its mission?

Our mission is to provide a space for Indigenous women and women of color in the world to share their stories of laughter, love, loss, heartache, hope, pain, growth, learning, and love through art. We wanted to show a pipe of possibility by publishing well-established writers alongside those just emerging including our youth. Every issue features a youth writer. The world is full of brave and beautiful voices that share common threads; we hope As/Us can be one place to weave these threads together into a collective of experiences and living that inhabits multiple spaces and crosses borders. We recognize that we have supporters and allies who cross the borders of the definition of our journal's mission and provide opportunities for other women and men of color to submit their work to us for special themed issues. We believe in access, publishing the journal online and in print to get it into as many places in the world as possible. As of today, As/Us has been viewed in approximately 129 countries. We open our hearts to the universe to take us as we are: words, movements, dance, photography, music, and art"the gifts of who we are as humans.

2. How many issues have you published so far and do they have any specific themes?


So far we've published four issues (Issue 1, Issue 2, V-Day Issue in support of All Nations Rising, and our most recent Queer issue) -- all are available online. Issues 1 and 2 are also available in print. Issue 3 is currently in the works. We have a Decolonial Love issue planned for spring. We're also excited about an upcoming collaborative issue we have with the Just Write organization and San Quentin to share student work. Finally, we're working on a language revitalization issue with some prominent Indigenous writers; it will also include our first contest as well. More soon on that!

3. What is the "Reach the Rez" campaign that As/Us has started?

Reach the Rez is our gift to our communities. Our youth are our future. Now is the time to help cultivate their creativity, encourage their passions, and provide outlets for expression. We want to help spread the word about As/Us as one of those places where they could submit work and maybe even get their first publication. We'd love to see As/Us used in classrooms or be available in libraries and schools in our communities where students can sit down and read work by other Indigenous people. This is how our future begins, by showing others what is out there, what is possible.

rest of the article:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/5-Questions-with-Tanaya-Wi-by-Bill-Wetzel-Feminism_Indigenous_Indigenous-Cultures_Indigenous-Peoples-140107-285.html