Internationally known poet and activist Chrystos addresses Creating Change

At the plenary honoring the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, internationally known poet and activist Chrystos delivered a poignant and provocative speech, discussing her life as a Two Spirit person and sharing the wisdom she gained during her 52 years of activism. “Everything you need to learn can be found for free, in close observation of your relationships with the earth, with each other and with yourselves,” she told the crowd.

Chrystos closed her speech by reading her poem “Song for a Lakota Woman.”

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Also today, Chuck Renslow, often called “The Leatherman of the Century,” received the Leather Leadership Award for his outstanding lifetime work of creating leather community institutions to foster a leather cultural identity and to preserve its history. A Leather Color Guard paved the way for Matt Foreman, former Task Force executive director, and Tyler McCormick, International Mr. Leather 2010, who presented the award to Renslow.