“I’m finding pride in who I am and loving myself and loving my skin color and loving my background,” says Itzel Tochli Abrego (Coahuiltecan/Nahua-Otomi), aka drag artist Papi Churro, who performed at IllumiNative’s Wagon Burners: All-Indigenous Drag Show in August 2022 at Charlie’s in Denver. “What was awesome was having people who come from the same background coming up to me and being like, ‘I felt seen. I felt like I could identify with that.’ It validated what I was trying to do.” Hosted by the legendary Landa Lakes (Chickasaw) and Lady Shug (Diné), the show also featured the incredible Sage Channel (Shawnee), Pandora Royale (Lakota Sioux), Buffalo Barbie (Diné) and Miss Eartha Quake (Diné). A scintillating, powerful and truly iconic night, the show was an incredible celebration of queer Indigenous talent and creativity, and of our Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ relatives everywhere.

Created by Steven J Yazzie