In late-December and early-January, I will be traveling to Australia as part of an Indigenous delegation attempting to establish an exchange program between Indigenous communities in the Great Lakes (on both sides of the US-Canada border) and our cousins in Australia. The delegation includes Anishinaabeg singers and dancers, Xicano danzantes (my partner and our kids), and a Métis artist (that’s me). If any Justseeds readers are familiar with powwow music, they’ll be happy to know that three of the guys from Grammy-nominated drum group Bear Creek will be in the mix, as well many other rad folks.

The singers and dancers will be performing at The Dreaming Festival, Australia’s premiere aboriginal arts festival, as well as working with urban and rural Native communities throughout Queensland. While there, I will also be showing my artwork at The Dreaming Festival, giving a talk at the Woodford Folk Festival (happening in the same place as The Dreaming Festival), meeting with communities, re-connecting with old friends, and organizing future collaborations. While I have connections in the Indigenous community, I don’t know many folks in either the activist or art worlds. If you are interested in meeting up or have contacts in Queensland or other parts of Australia, please get in touch with me. Send me an email here.