About me:

The name would be Tyson

Or Tys, whatever you prefer. You know that lip-smackin, high-walkin, ever-givin fella errbody talks about? Thats me. I grew up in Taholah/Tax’olah, WA (T-Town) on the Quinault rez right next to the ocean and in the middle of the forest. You think it rains lots in Seattle? Guess where the rain comes from baby…I think what I miss most about home is the Oxygen, whenever I go back the first thing I do is take a big whiff of the clean ozone! However my heart is always with my family and by proxy my people. There is no love like Quinault love. I mean that.♥

I’m a Two-Spirited, Quinault Indian living in Seattle (Occupied Duwamish Territory!/Beacon Hill!) right now. Guess that makes me an urban Indian/native/first nation’s person. Something I’ve learned the hard way during my +4 year tenure up here in Seattle is that no matter where you are for any given moment you must take responsibility for being true to yourself. Because %98 of the time nobody else will give damn. Sometimes the love you can have for yourself is the love that is most important. I was in the Duwamish Longhouse recently and this story teller told me about his struggle with being Indian in the city and going home sometimes he has to deal with people in his community belittling him for leaving. He told me, “The fact of the matter is, it don’t matter if you’re a rez Indian or an urban Indian. People are always putting emphasis on the wrong word.” Ever since I’ve heard that story, I’ve taken it to heart.

I’m a 5th year senior at the University of Washington getting double-degrees in Communications (Political Focus) and American Indian Studies. I also am completing requirements for the minor in Law, Societies, and Justice (LSJ) with some Women Studies and Sociology thrown in there too. Woot Woot! Upon my graduation (C/O 2010!), I plan on taking a year off primarily to study abroad in the middle east, oceanic (Pacifik Islands), and/or Latin America before I come back home to Taholah and working for the Nation to finish out the year. After I take that time for myself I plan on immediately applying to the graduate program in social-welfare (MSW) at the UW where my designated emphasis will be in family/group healing and community organizing. Ideally, in the near future I would like to also attend law school and attain a PhD in ethnic studies with focuses in social policy, federal Indian law, American Indian/First Nations Education, and Indigenous Nation Building. I have a lot of interests, plans, and ultimately a vision for my people. The only way I believe I will be able to accomplish my opus magnum is by becoming a scholar and surrendering myself to the will of the people (Quinault People that is.).

I'm a force of my own nature. I hate and love with equal passion. I'm a romantic, but never hopeless. I am always %100 ice cold honest though I try to balance it out with my warm and cuddly spirit. I love making my would be oppressors shake in their yeehaw boots! I can be deliciously vulgar or sweet like candy upon command. I love all people especially my native peoples, other two-spirits, and people with that riddim! I love poetry, spoken word and any creative writing style. If you’re special I’ll show you my private collection. I will forever love Marvel Comics. Especially the X-Men! I find hope in those pages. Especially when it gets hard. Don’t really like to think of myself as the creative type though if I did have an art it would be cooking. I put my soul into the food I cook. I love to dance. Whether it’s alone, with friends, or at the club. I love dancing...especially the dirrty kind. Ask anyone. Beyond being NDN I got Filipino (INDIPINO PRIDE!), Scottish, and Irish in me too that I am learning to cherish equally with the parts of myself that I know. I’m also a TWO-SPIRITED, BROTHER/SISTER, GAY, i.e. COLORED BOY WHO SPEAKS SOFTLY and I’m proud of it! Someday i'm going to leave my mark on the world, but until than i'm just trying to lead a traditional/spiritual, radically conscious, eco-feminist, community-involved, and politically-aware life. But the key is balance! If you see me on the street? Gimme a hug! I’m nice and warm to the touch...