Souksavanh T. Keovorabouth, Diné, Ph.D
Yá'át'ééh (Hello),
Shí éí Souksavanh T. Keovorabouth yinishyé. Kinyaa'áanii nishłi. Nááts’ózí Bashishchiin. ‘Áshįįhi Dashicheii. Nááts’ózí dashinalí. I am of Towering House Clan, born for Laos, my maternal grandfather is of Salt People, and my paternal grandfather is of Laos.
I am Diné (Navajo) Nation and second-generation Laotian, Queer, Trans, Two-Spirit, and Nadleeh and I use They/Them or She/Her pronouns. I come from a lineage of survivors of the Navajo Long Walk, Native Boarding Schools, Relocation, Indian Placement Program, and Urbanization. Chinle, Arizona, USA, is home, but I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. I have listed publications, awards, and prior speaking engagements below.
*Two-Spirit Queer Historian on Book of Queer Documentary series on Discovery+
Looking forward to working with you,
Ahéhee' (Thank you)
Speaking Topics: Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit, Indigenous Urbanization, Masculinities, multiracialism, Intergenerational Healing, Black, Brown, and POC Inclusion, Mental Health, Indigenous/Queer Futurisms, and so much more . . .
Let's talk :D
Academic Appointment:
Assistant Professor
Northern Arizona University (NAU)
Women and Gender Studies & Applied Indigenous Studies
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Education:
Ph.D. in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies &
Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Corvallis, Oregon
2023
Ph.D. Candidate in Critical Indigenous Studies
MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY
Sydney, Australia
Anticipated 2024
Masters of Arts in American Indian Studies
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Tucson, Arizona
2019
Bachelors of Science in Sustainable Built Environments & Bachelors of Arts in American Indian Studies
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Tucson, Arizona
2017
Publications:
Keovorabouth, Souksavanh T. “What is the 2S in LGBTQ2S+?.” Star Observer, 18 July 2022.
Keovorabouth, Souksavanh T. “Diné Down Under.” Star Observer, 6 April 2022, pp. 3.
Keovorabouth, Souksavanh T. “Chinledí.” Martin Lake Journal: Winner of Silver Birch Award. March 2021
Keovorabouth, Souksavanh T. “K’é Ch’iyáán.” Martin Lake Journal. March 2021.
Keovorabouth, Souksavanh T. “Wakanda Forever.” Northwest Portland Indian Health Board Blog. January 2021.
Awards:
Desert Diamond Casino Community Grant | Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Research and Support Center | Awarded | Team: Dr. Souksavanh T. Keovorabouth, Bryanna Yale, Niah Deuel, Aaliyah Gonzalez, Roger Lupe, and Isla Hubbard Desert Diamond Casino | Submitted: May 10, 2024; Awarded: July 25, 2024
NAHRBA Wurgler Chair Funds | Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Community, Space, and Place: Needs and experiences of Indigenous LGBTQ2S individuals at NAU | Awarded | Team: Dr. Ariel Roddy, Dr. Souksavanh T. Keovorabouth, Dr. Justin Lund, Dr. China Medel, Luciano Buck, Niah Deuel, Aaliyah Gonzalez, and Isla Hubbard Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona | Submitted: April 5, 2024; Awarded: May 1, 2024
Finalist: Dreamstarter Youth Grant | Indigenous Queer Urban Studies: (Re)Imagining Indigenous Urbanization (Re)Built By and For Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Peoples in Arizona | Awarded - Running Strong for American Indian Youth | Submitted: January 15, 2024; Awarded: March 29, 2024
Scholarly and Creative Awards | Queer Indigenous Urban Studies: (Re)Imagining Indigenous Urbanization (Re)Built By/For Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Peoples in Arizona | Awarded - Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona | Submitted: October 30, 2023; Awarded: February 29, 2024
Interns-to-Scholars Program | Indigenous Queer Urban Studies: (Re)Imagining Indigenous Urbanization (Re)Built By/For Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Peoples in Arizona | Awarded - Submitted: February 28, 2024; Awarded: March 18, 2024
International Cotutelle Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship | Macquarie University | June 25, 2021
The Cobell Scholarship | Indigenous Education, Inc. | May 5, 2021
Silver Birch Poetry Prize for Indigenous Voices Award | Martin Lake Journal | March 25, 2021
Fulbright Fellowship | Semi-Finalist | Fulbright Program | January 29, 2021
Paths (Re)membered Project Poetry Contest Winner | Northwest Portland Indian Health Board | January 2021
Indigenous Stewards Poetry Contest | Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center | September 2020
Special Higher Education Program Fellowship | American Indian Graduate Center | September 2020 – June 2021
American Indian Education Fund Scholarship | American Indian Education Fund |September 2020 – June 2021
Jeanne Dost, Margaret Lumpkin, and Jo Anne Trow Founders Scholarship | Oregon State University Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | September 2020 – June 2021
Ford Foundation Fellowship | Ford Foundation | Semi-Finali 2020 – 2021
Provost’s Distinguished Graduate Fellowship | Oregon State University Graduate School | September 2019 – July 2020
Previous Speaking Engagements:
Presentations and Talks:
Plenary Panel | Decolonize, Indigenize, Resurge: Rematriation and Liberation | Panel: Souksavanh T. Keovorabouth (Diné) & Ruth Garby Torres (Schaghticoke); Moderator - Madi Day (Murri) | Women and Gender Studies Department | Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut | April 19 - 20, 2024
Presentation | The Study of Geography, Sexuality, and the ‘Gayborhood’: Understanding Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Belonging in Urban Areas – Session Theme: The Indigenous, The Queer, the Other | Women and Gender Studies Department | Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut | April 19 - 20, 2024
Presentation | Indigenous Queer Urban Studies – Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Studies | Labriola | Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona | March 14, 2024
Presentation | Indigenous Queer Urban Studies – Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Studies | Native American Student Affairs Center | University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona | March 12, 2024
Panel | Unearthing the Forgotten: Phoenix (Arizona) History of Settler-Civic Colonialism – Amplifying Black and Indigenous Voices| Meaningful Engagement Network (M.E.N.) & Department of Sociology | Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona | March 6, 2024
Presentation | Queer Indigenous Cities of Care and Resiliency – Session Theme: (Re)Building Indigenous Spaces through Belonging, Cities of Care, and Critiques of Anthropological Practices | American Indian Studies Association Conference | University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico | February 1 – 2, 2024
Workshop | PhD and Masters Thesis Writing Workshop support | American Indian Studies Association Graduate Pre-Conference - American Indian Studies Association Conference | University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico | February 1 – 2, 2024
Panel | Choosing an Institution – Personal Indigenous Experiences through Grad School | American Indian Studies Association Graduate Pre-Conference - American Indian Studies Association Conference | University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico | February 1 – 2, 2024
Facilitation | Indigenous Masculinities: Constructing the “NDN” Body | Meaningful Engagement Network (M.E.N) | Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona | November 15, 2023
Presentation | Queering Indigenous Research Doing Research in Indigenous Communities Conference | Office of American Indian Initiatives and College of Health Solutions | Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona | October 23 – 24, 2023
Presentation | “Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Indigenous Health and Well-being” | LGBTQ+ Health Equity Summit | Virtual | March 30 – 31, 2023
Roundtable | “Being Good Relatives: Envisioning Indigenous Futurities and Establishing Global Networks of Indigenous Feminist and Queer Solidarity Through Kinship” | 24th American Indian Studies Association Conference and Graduate Student Pre-Conference: Reconciliation, Reparations, Relationality: Keeping Our Promise to the Future | Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona | February 1 – 3, 2023
Presentation | “We Are the Healing Generation”: (Re)navigating our narratives of trauma through queer recovery” | Myth Making and Future Possibilities: How the Humanities can offer hope in times of crisis | Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia | December 9, 2022
Presentation | “A New City is Possible with “City-Back”: Utilizing “Land-Back” | What matters: LGBTIQ+ Pasts, Presents and Futures Symposium | Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia | December 5, 2022
Presentation | “It’s Just a ‘Preference’: Understanding Systems of Power in Online Dating from a Two-Spirit Perspective” | Digital Intimacies Conference 2022 | Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia | December 1 - 2, 2022
(Re)Imagining/(Re)Creating Spaces for Intergenerational Healing: A Queer and Two-Spirit Pathway to a Healthy Well-Being | Indigiwellbeing: University of Arizona College of Public Health | Virtual | January 20, 2022
Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+/Queer Indigenous Inclusion | PFLAG SW Washington | Virtual | January 11, 2022
Hozhó, the Beauty Way: (Re)Connecting with Nadleeh and Diné Two-Spirit Masculinities for Intergenerational Healing | ACPA: Coalition on Men and Masculinity | Webinar | December 14, 2021
Conversation Café: Gender is a Colonial Construct | University of Alaska, Anchorage | Anchorage, Alaska | November 3, 2021
Native American and Indigenous Two-Spirit/Queer Identity | Arizona Center for Afterschool Excellence (AZCASE) | Phoenix, Arizona | October 23, 2021
“Diné Representation and Queer Critiques as Diné LGBTQ+ scholars: A Critical Dialogue About Occupying Spaces in Academia.” Queering the Academy | Online | June 30, 2021
“Youth in Action: Conversations About our Future.” Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian | Washington DC | June 17, 2021
Podcasts:
Called to Queer: Souksavanh T. Keovorabouth (they/them) - part 2 | Online | November 28, 2022 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LjmSCnVm3H4fXoraiOQYm?si=261fe02eb44d4d52
Called to Queer: Souksavanh T. Keovorabouth (they/them) | Online | November 21, 2022 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iu8erj7j0alECSG53GQDi?si=5f3d0460c555449f
Indigenae Podcast: Restoring balance - Two-Spirit Wellbeing with Souksavanh Keovorabouth (Part 2 of 2) | Online | January 25, 2022 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/0QrvLz3LYTgRZgHiGy0x7z?si=10e05557cfbc4f80
Indigenae Podcast: Restoring balance - Two-Spirit Wellbeing with Souksavanh Keovorabouth (Part 1 of 2) | Online | January 18, 2022 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/0GLFtSVuA0dTrvpmMRTrmn?si=c98356f5f67845b2
Indigenae Podcast: Coming of Age, Sex, and Pleasure Episode | John Hopkins Center for American Indian Health | virtual | October 13, 2021
“LGBT+ College Student Experience.” Career Readiness Series | Amplified Nevada Native Youth | Online | July 1, 2021
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 11: Asian Diaspora | Online | May 21, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/31LbbWffUZgWkddo6gxlfu?si=9d320c292e7e4d6f
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 10: LGBTQ+ AAPI Community | Online | May 14, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cvgycR9VZtHrIiNte3GJ0?si=a58228c6b1454f65
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 8: Making Waves Munchies! | Online | April 30, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/0uhgPTGjmKPmj5gdiOKF4E?si=a85367a251674c02
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 7: Anime! | Online | April 30, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/7zzdpVfqxptH7uRAai0T39?si=7c514771e37947ea
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 6: Social Media | Online | April 26, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/637s8EgDjyzM69pQ60FYin?si=0ffa2d62759e47a8
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 5: Career Expectations | Online | April 14, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/6A2439NPHxtsddrQ4XelBS?si=370c119e805a46ac
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 4: High School You vs. College You | Online | March 5, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/3wodHLJpGbdWrDgtiEsrnF?si=ed832c4514a24cbc
“Youth Advisors – Liberated Queer Indigenous Relationships.” Paths (Re)Membered Project| Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board | Portland, Oregon | February 28, 2021
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 3: API Identity & Intersectionality | Online | February 19, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/3A1UAUae1G24srtB2s1jg1?si=f8f017c9a5bd4333
“Lessons in Leadership: Masculinity within Leadership.” Community Engagement and Leadership | Oregon State University | Corvallis, Oregon | February 18, 2021
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 2: Fetishization & Love Language (Part 2) | Online | February 14, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jKHqssDOsamkcnDKSNNYM?si=4203175aa47c4e76
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 2: Valentine's Day (Part 1) | Online | February 12, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/2FGHkkqzrji3CQnNXcJAEj?si=70a302fe39cd409e
Making Waves: Season 3 Episode 1: Introduction | Online | February 9, 2021 | https://open.spotify.com/episode/0d80onjLXBsdqG4iibR4Wr?si=04c639228d024918
“Queer Indigenous Futurism.” The Paths (Re)membered Project through the Northwest Portland Indian Health Board | Instagram Live | January 21, 2021
Teaching Experience:
Assistant Professor | WGS 497 – Independent Study: QT/BIPOC Urban Studies (1 student) Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | August 2024 – December 2024
Assistant Professor | WGS 685 – Graduate Research (1 student) Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | August 2024 – December 2024
Assistant Professor | WGS 485 – Undergraduate Research (12 students) Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | August 2024 – December 2024
Assistant Professor | WGS 485 – Undergraduate Research (8 students) Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | January 2024 – May 2024
Assistant Professor | WGS 325 – “Sister Nations”: Indigenous Women in the US Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | August 2023 – December 2023
Assistant Professor | WGS 325 – “Sister Nations”: Indigenous Women in the US Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | January 2024 – May 2024
Assistant Professor | WGS 315 – Trans Existence and Resiliency Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | August 2024 – December 2024
Assistant Professor | AIS 255 – Gender and Indigenous Representation Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | August 2024 – December 2024
Assistant Professor | WGS 250 – Intro to Queer Studies | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | August 2023 – December 2023
Assistant Professor | WGS 215 – “Making Real Men”: Masculinities in the US Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | College of Social and Behavioral Sciences | January 2024 – May 2024
Participant | General Studies Inclusive Curriculum Workshop Series General Studies Department | Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona | September 29, October 6, & October 13, 2023
Participant | Indigenous Peoples Curriculum Seminar General Studies Department | Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona | October 26 - December 7, 2023