Q. Could you speak about the themes or messages in your music?

There’s a lot of things I want to say. I speak to real struggles and the desire to continue forward, no matter what happens as an Indigenous person, no matter your dynamics. I want to influence ways in which people could be healthier but also still live and have fun and make love and be as authentic to who they are and move in a genuinely good way.

Q. Are these themes and that focus woven into your participation in DBIWP as well?

When we’re faced with this current administration, [with] the level of hatred and bigotry and misinformation that is out here that is radicalizing people in the worst way possible . . . Our LGBTQ+ relatives, our Two-Spirit relatives, we’ve always served such an important and definitive role. I come from a culture where we already had terms for relatives like me, we’re not something new . . . we have always been here.

This isn’t okay with where things are at. And we have to be a part of changing that. And that’s what I see when it comes to this event and everything going on, it’s meant to do that—if we do it right, if we move in a good way and put our best foot forward and love as much as possible. Because we have to be as loud and present and boisterous about everything that we are. That’s why I love being able to be a part of this, not just talking about the realm of a better world, but actually creating genuine action items for everyone to realize the definitive steps they have to take.

Q. Could you speak about what’s important about events like DBIWP?

I think it’s important to always be able to share the message that there really is always a way forward. It’s never over. It’s never really the end. Even when it feels like it. There’s always a chance for something to be different here. No matter what’s happening.
We need to be able to have genuine, effective dynamics, of what we can do going forward. And I think that’s what events like this do. It puts that in perspective, and makes people more aware of really important dynamics, especially when being Indigenous, we are more intentionally wiped out from mainstream rhetoric.

Q. Has your broader perspective on DBIWP and events like DBIWP shifted over time or within the current political context?

The hard part is that it is something that has always been lurking beneath. It has always been there. And now we’re seeing this full-on display of it. There’s no hiding from it, which means now this is our opportunity more than ever to fully get rid of it once and for all. This is not okay. This is not normal. This is wrong . . . This is not conducive to the well-being of everyone, and just the general consideration of other human beings. More specifically, women and people of color and us. Everyone has to suddenly feel their humanity to a T, that they are no longer a cog in a machine. If enough people wake up to the reality of these circumstances, that’s our only chance . . . It has to be this mass awakening.

Q. Has this sense of community responsibility impacted the themes of your artistic work?

Absolutely, absolutely. I care about what my impact is. This is me, defiantly existing as the OglalaWin woman that I am, with everything that I am. That in itself—everything about me, even just me living my day-to-day life—is an act of resistance, me choosing to still be here and live defiantly. I want to be able to create this very genuine hue of who we are at the core of us, regardless of whatever people want to believe. We still have to work and navigate in a world in this current state, and that can affect us in various ways. We have to be as humanizing and loving and caring as possible, especially when we’re trying to call back our people to our ways and to our culture, and to a healthier and happier mindset, and sobriety. I put those themes, and I sprinkle it through all of my music.

Q. Within this context, and through the lens of your artistic work, what do you see as the significance of the DBIWP events, specifically?

These events are to encourage and have a healthier dynamic where everyone is treated like humans and loved and cared for. A lot of the problems that we’ve had [boils down to] the lack of community and the divisive tendencies of the world that we live in. And the more opportunities [to] not only come together, but actually be with each other—sitting with everything and feeling it, being able to have something powerful and something that moves you. We may have our own respective ways of expressing ourselves and doing what we do, but that’s what I think the mindset should always be: What can be the betterment of our world and our circumstances that we are currently in?

Q. Do you have any projects that are coming up?

I have my website: oglalapuppies.com. I will be looking to go on a world tour. I hope I can get enough people to continue supporting me. And being able to get booked for more opportunities, generate more excitement, to have more people out here discover me and come out to my shows.