Indigenous Burlesque

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Above: Virago Nation


Today is Indigenous People's Day, which is a great day to tell you about just a few of the Native American/First Nations performers using burlesque to express identity, history and purpose. Get to know a few in this post! Support them by watching their performances and following them on social media, liking, commenting on and sharing their work, and looking out for their suggestions for support.


Virago Nation:

"We are a collective of Indigenous artists creating performance through burlesque, theatre, song and spoken word as well as workshops, and community rematriating Indigenous sexuality."

Learn More About Virago Nation


Adele Wolf Productions:

"Adele Wolf Production is an Indigenous LGBTQ+ owned, international, award-winning entertainment company established in 2011 and specializing in world-class burlesque and variety entertainment. Our World-renowned revuews include tlaent from Absinthe Las Vegas, Crazy Horse Paris, and Dita Von Teese Tours."

Learn More About Adele Wolf


Red Delicious:

"Red Delicious is a model, performer, bookkeeper, and business maven. She began her burlesque career in the early 1990s with the Fallen Women's Follies and BurlyQ: A Queer Cabaret. Red is the Business Manager for the Academy of Burlesque." Red is also currently working on multiple projects related to her Indigenous heritage and present, which links I'll add as they become available.

Learn More About Red Delicious


Lou Lou la Duchesse de Riere:

"Lou Lou la Duchesse de Riere, aka Lauren Ashely Jiles, is a Afro-Indigenous internationally renowned neo-burlesque dancer, teacher, and activist hailling fromt he Mohawk territory of Kahawake, Quebec." She is the Queen of Burlesque NOLA 2018 and the holder of multiple titles from The Burlesque Hall of Fame.

Learn More About Lou Lou la Duchesse de Riere





You can watch The Landback Cabaret, a full-length show featuring only Indigenous performers, posted as part of the Burlesque Hall of Fame Virtual Weekender 2021.

https://bhofweekend.com/session/land-back-cabaret/


I have been talking about this for a long time in classes and at conference, but in case you haven't caught it, in The Burlesque Handbook I incorrectly use the term "spirit animal." I was relying on family stories with which I'd been raised, and didn't do the proper research. Learn why it's better not to use that term.

You may have been to a North American burlesque show and heard the announcer do a land acknowledgment, in which they name the nation that inhabited the region before it was colonized by Europeans. I am currently in New York City, on land stolen from the Lenape People, who called this island Manahatta. The Lenape are still working to reclaim stolen lands. Learn about land acknowledgements.




Do you know any Indigenous performers you'd like to recommend to readers?
Are you an Indigenous performer looking for support?
Any resources you'd like to support?
Please mention in the comments below and I'll add them to the post!


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