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Honoring Nex Benedict

  • By: Solange Aguilar
The photo shows an illustration of Nex Benedict, surrounded with flowers native to Chahta Territory. The stars are from a so-called "Oklahoma" skyline. The overall color palette reflects the non-binary flag colors of black, white, purple, and yellow. The cedar around their shoulders is there to send them off in a good way.

Nex Benedict was a 16-year-old non-binary Chahta student whose life was taken due to anti-queerness at their school in February 2024. Their death is a tragedy and a sobering reminder of what it’s like to be queer in a country that doesn’t honor our traditional ways of queerness. Whenever I make a piece to honor someone – both living or dead – I take great care and time in making each piece.

Although I didn’t know Nex personally, I made sure that all of the flowers that surround Nex are native to Chahta Territory. The stars are from a so-called “Oklahoma” skyline. The overall color palette reflects the non-binary flag colors of black, white, purple, and yellow. The cedar around their shoulders is there to send them off in a good way and to put down prayers to all the other queer youth who need it, to the queer youth who deserve to grow up and become elders and have full, happy lives as their authentic selves.

PROTECT NATIVE KIDS. PROTECT QUEER NATIVE KIDS. PROTECT TRANS KIDS.

YOU’LL ONLY FIND THIS DESIGN FOR SALE IN OUR SHOP.
A man wearing the Rest in Sacredness Tee in Navy Blue that features a photo of a a starry sky, Nex Benedict is standing in front of a halo-like circle and is surrounded by flowers against a white.
A White Baseball tee is pictured with the Rest in Sacredness design that features a photo of a a starry sky, Nex Benedict is standing in front of a halo-like circle and is surrounded by flowers against a white background.
A woman is wearing the Rest in Sacredness Tank in Black that features a photo of a a starry sky, Nex Benedict is standing in front of a halo-like circle and is surrounded by flowers against a white background.
A Round Button is pictured with the Rest in Sacredness design that features a photo of a a starry sky, Nex Benedict is standing in front of a halo-like circle and is surrounded by flowers against a white background.
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About the Author

Solange Aguilar (They/Ze) is a Mescalero Apache, Yo’eme, & Filipinx (Kalinga & Kapampangan) artist, poet, and zinemaker currently living in Qenepstin, Chumash Territory (“Santa Barbara, CA”). They are a first-place winner in the Santa Barbara Poetry Slam, a recipient of The Pachamama Skillshare and Women’s Creative Collective for Change artist scholarship, and a 2021 fellow from the Artist2Artist program by the Art Matters Foundation.