Miguel Mendías

Country Queers

Miguel Mendías is an interdisciplinary artist living in Marfa, Texas, occupied Jumano and Apache lands. He is Chicanx, Mexican-American, or Latinx (a term he dislikes). He is mestizo; of Czech, Basque, and Rarámuri (Tarahumara) descent. His father’s family has lived in Marfa, Texas for five generations. In this episode Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay (she/they) interviews Miguel about his work to restore the adobe home that's been in his family for generations, lessons his grandparents taught him, and his relationship to his father, his ancestry, and the land.

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Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay (she/they) is a queer, mixed-Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) living in their ancestral lands in Mākaha, Hawaiʻi. She is an educator, learning experience designer, musician/creative and plant person. She is the interivewer and creator of this week’s episode featuring Miguel Mendías, and you can find his interview of her in Episode 2.

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For this episode, Miguel is asking you to support Ekvn-Yefolecv: an intentional ecovillage community of Indigenous Maskoke persons who, after 180 years of having been forcibly removed from traditional homelands - in what is commonly/colonially known as Alabama - have returned for the purpose of practicing linguistic, cultural and ecological sustainability. You can donate and learn more on their website: https://www.ekvn-yefolecv.org/how-can-i-help

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To learn more about this collaboratively produced 2nd season check out our websites at www.countryqueers.com and www.weareoutintheopen.org

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Created and produced by Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay, with support from HB Lozito from Out in the Open, and Rae Garringer of Country Queers.

Sound Design by Hideo Tokui. Audio editing by: Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay and Rae Garringer.

Editorial advisory dream team: Hermelinda Cortés, Lewis Raven Wallace, and Sharon P. Holland

Our Featured Song on this episode is “Surftastic” by Slutpilll. Slutpill is a Whitesburg, Kentucky based band made up of Carrie Carter, Paulina Vasquez, and Mitchella Phipps. Additional music in this episode is by Tommy Anderson!

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If you'd like to support this rural queer and trans led project head on over to our Patreon page.