Doin’ It Well

Last week “Doin’ It Well” had the opportunity to interview international sex educator and activist Jessica Yee. Jessica is the founder and director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, a North America-wide organization working on issues of healthy sexuality, youth empowerment, reproductive justice, and sex positivity by and for Native youth.

DIW: You started your career working with women who experienced abuse. What led you into the field of sexuality, sex positivity & reproductive justice?

Jessica Yee: I’ve been an activist since I was ten years old. Around that time, my mother moved to the big city of Toronto. She was a sex trade worker and had two abortions. I went to Catholic School and heard, as part of my education, anti-choice presentations. All of these influenced my activism. I remember asking my mother about abortion and her saying, “I’ve had two abortions, do you think the creator doesn’t love me?” I also was living in a city, trying to find ways to stand up for my body, my space- to have bodily autonomy.

But it wasn’t until I was 18 when I met an Elder who asked me, “Why did you not tell me your Nation when we first met?” I was taught that if we do not talk about our Nations, they begin to die. From then on, I began working to understand my Native identity and feminist activism as entwined. It has been an empowering journey for me.

DIW: What are the top issues that are unique to Indigenous sexualities that you think are important for people to understand?

JY: There are not many Native representations in sexual and reproductive health places and organizations, yet we are highly represented in STDs, domestic violence and youth pregnancy. In my work I realized that many circles did not want to intersect race, culture, class and other identities into sexual health education, and yet many things within sexuality and feminism education and dialogue are Indigenous concepts. Do you think we waited around for Christopher Columbus to teach us about sex?

DIW: What specific barriers have you faced doing this work both within Indigenous communities and in general?

JY:  Most Native-focused campaigns in sexual health education look like mainstream campaigns,, except they might add a feather or change the faces slightly. And ours is the only Native sexual health organization that isn’t focused on disease control. So, it’s been challenging! If we are going to change the tide, it has to be youth led and intergenerational.

We currently have eleven projects that we are working on, one of our major focuses being to understand if Indigenous knowledge about sexuality still exists and how we can return it to the community. Through colonization sexuality was taken away as a way to take away power. Our goal is to protect Indigenous knowledge.

DIW: Currently, you’re also involved in bringing attention to the Highway of Tears - a name given to the murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women in northwestern British Columbia. How do you link this to your sex positive work?

JY:  I’m an Indigenous feminist and come from a matriarchal society. Women are life-givers, and if life-givers are disproportionately being abused, hurt, and violated, this affects and should affect sexual health education, especially for Indigenous people. Women are being targeted because of their sex and sexuality and there is an attempt to destroy it. So I called the coordinator of this campaign and asked how I could be of help.

DIW:  What do you wish you had known when you were just beginning your work? What advice might you give to young sexuality activists and educators?

JY: I used to think getting older sucked, but it doesn’t feel that way anymore. I wish I would have known the different forms that activism can take, especially within the context of sexuality. You don’t have to go to a protest to be an activist. The home is one of the toughest places to be an activist. But some of the greatest activists are those who organize at home.

DIW: What do you hope people will take away from your workshops?

JY: I hope they like it! One hope I have is that they will see the work I’m doing as important and that’s it’s taken seriously. I’m not faculty, and I also want to reinforce that you do not need to have a PhD or certifications to do this work. I hope I add to conversations that are already taking place. Finally, I hope that when we hear “strong sexuality” we may picture a Native person.

Join us next week as we play with BDSM!

Sex 411: Jessica Yee on Campus!
Chat ‘n Chew: Seminar on Sex and Native Communities with Kim Rice followed by Jessica Yee!
Thursday, Sept. 24th (TONIGHT!) 6pm Native American House, 1206 W. Nevada St.

Symposium on Indigenous Sexualities
Saturday, Sept. 26th 9:30-5pm Asian American Cultural Center, 1210 W. Nevada St., Urbana
Jessica and others will be presenting throughout the day.

For more info: www.ais.illinois.edu/

Send Jo and Ross your ideas and comments to buzzdoinitwell@yahoo.com