Because of This Woman

Name: Chrystos
Dates: 1946-present

Why she rocks: She is a Menominee rights activist and poet. She identifies as a lesbian and expresses her gender very androgynously (typically called a two-spirited person in Native American culture). Her writing focuses on themes revolving around the violence and injustice in urban areas. Her first published work, Not Vanishing, concentrates on a Native American woman and the environment she returns to after working in mainstream culture.

Quote: To survive we must begin to know sacredness.  The pace at which most of us live prevents this. 

Because of this woman… her poetry reflects her culture and helps us to see how to combat the dangers that exist in our cities.