Asa Wright
| Asa Wright | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 🎓 Alma mater | Portland State University Pacific Northwest College of Art |
| 💼 Occupation | Activist, artist |
| 🌐 Website | https://mightymodoc.com |
Asa Wright is a Klamath/Modoc Tribal member.[1] He is the founder of the Portland Two-Spirit Society (PTSS), a community where Native Two-Spirit people from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska can gather and share stories, create community, and restore traditions of two-spirit people.[2]
Early life and education
Wright realized that he was Two-Spirit when he was 5, although he came out as gay when he was 15. He started college at 17 at Portland State University. He felt little support on campus and failed his first term, but earned a bachelor's degree in public health, becoming a first-generation graduate.[3] He went on to earn a master's degree in Collaborative design at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
Portland Two-Spirit Society and activism
Wright learned of Two-Spirit in 2003. In an interview with Hopper Magazine he said: "I identify as Two-Spirit as I feel it fits better than any other description; it feels right and comfortable to me. It identifies me more as a whole person. I don't really use any other words to describe my sexuality. I have used gay and queer but don't feel like that really fits."
He founded the Portland Two-Spirit Society (PTSS) in 2004. It started with approximately 20 people, joining the 32 Two-Spirit societies across the US and Canada.[4]
Wright has worked on and off in suicide prevention and health promotion for 10–12 years. In 2016, he helped organize the Art for Action tent at the Indigenous People Power Project in Cannon Ball, North Dakota[5] as a part of the Standing Rock protest. He later became the coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Power Project.[6]
Wright helped create the Tribal Toolkit in 2013 and is credited as one of the designers of the 150+ page document.[7]. He was awarded "Queer Hero" in 2013 by the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest and in 2015 received PQ Monthly's Brilliant Award for his work in the Queer community. In 2016, he was Grand Marshal alongside Candi Brings Plenty for the Portland Pride parade. He also helped with the 2020 census, working with "Art For Action" to encourage Native people to complete the census to ensure federal funding for their tribes.[8]
Art
Wright worked in public health during the early part of his career and later transitioned to creating art that is politically and culturally provocative full-time. He works as a graphic designer and a creative arts trainer with organizations such as Greenpeace [9] and Rogue Climate.[10]. He described art as a way of life, stating that "I need it to live, it feeds me, it's an outlet, it's healing."
In 2021, he began planning for Saa'Maqs Studio[11], a studio space for Indigenous artists and makers in the Pacific Northwest inspired by the art tent at Standing Rock.
References
- ↑ Wright, Asa. "About". Mighty Modoc. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Portland Two-Spirit Society". Facebook. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Stew for Thought - Asa Wright". KB00 Radio (Podcast). KB00 Radio. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ↑ Parks, Casey (Jun 18, 2016). "In Orlando's shadow, Native American Two-Spirit group brings light to Pride". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ↑ Mullen, Anna (December 2016). "Room For Craft". Hopper Mag. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Who We Are". Indigenous Peoples Power Project. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ↑ "Two Spirit/LGBT Individuals Face Negative Outcomes in Tribal Communities, Report Finds". Arcus Foundation. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ↑ admin (Mar 18, 2020). "Tribal Spotlight: Asa Wright (2020 Census Artwork)". Klamath Tribes. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ↑ "Greenpeace USA". Greenpeace USA. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ↑ "Tribal Nations". Rogue Climate. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ↑ "Saa'Maqs Studio". Saa'Maqs Studio. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
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