Save the Stories: A QTBIPOC Storytelling Project

Dearest kin - 

Since I last wrote to you, fires have ravaged much of the world which heartbreakingly included some of the Jicarilla Apache Nation's homelands -- where we have done much of our work in the last year. Thankfully the fire is now 85% contained but this climate crisis-induced devastation, the expansion of the Delta variant within the 21 tribes of New Mexico, and a recent school shooting in the neighborhood where most of our work has taken place in downtown Albuquerque have prevented us from safely gathering in person. 

Many of the youth who, in 2020 intended to be interns, have since become frontline fighters against fracking and pipeline expansion in various tribal territories across the country. Our goal as a project is to support the storytelling of these young people and land/lifeway stewards but to also support these folks with the ability to safeguard themselves and their stories through multiple digital documenting and legal defense safety trainings in addition to the planned multimedia training. As seen in Standing Rock in 2016, many journalists, photographers, videographers, and legal witnesses in 2021 are being targeted in frontline spaces for bearing witness and documenting the truth. It is our sincerest hope as a collective and mine as someone who has survived being attacked for witnessing injustice that our kin be prepared, protected, and allowed to safely continuing to raise their voices through multimedia. 

While the pandemic hasn't allowed us the ability to meet in person, we are looking at offices in Tiwa Territory that might allow us to connect with our community in a closed environment that observes COVID safety and cleaning protocols. When space is secured we plan to bring our interns in pairs for closed training and documenting. Additionally, after seeing the current state of needs within our community circles in Albuquerque, we are continuing to expand our mutual aid efforts with support from Suay Sew Shop to teach our interns how to make minor repairs to clothing for redistribution to any relations in need including our unsheltered kin that we see on a now monthly basis (due to the rise in Delta variant cases). 

We appreciate your love, support, and community care during this time. We're holding steady and hope you all remember that there is always light to shine.