#15 Decolonizing Men's Work - Dallas Goldtooth (1491’s)
“We cannot shy away from the transformative power of conflict.”
My guest today is indigenous activist and comedian Dallas Goldtooth (Diné/Dakota). I first crossed paths with Dallas at the Bioneers conference back in 2016, as he arrived from the height of the action at Standing Rock - where water protectors clashed with police against the Dakota Access Pipeline. This massive energy project would have cut through their sacred lands and polluted the water, and Standing Rock became a global icon of indigenous resistance.
Dallas is also a key member of the media team for the Indigenous Environmental Network, a non-violent direct action trainer, and a Dakota cultural/language teacher. When he’s not fighting on the frontlines, Dallas travels with his all-indigenous comedy troupe, the 1491s.
In our conversation we touch upon a number of themes, including the subject of toxic masculinity, how much of modern men’s work unconsciously enacts settler-colonialism and cultural appropriation, and the power of humour to connect and create cultural change.
We begin with a short excerpt from one of his talk’s at the Bioneers conference.
Note: If you’d you’re inspired by Dallas’ mission and wish to support, please contribute to the IEN COVID fund.
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SHOW NOTES
On family and becoming a father
Speaking of his step-father and biological father
The power of comedy in activism
Importance of telling new stories
The transformative power of conflict
Necessity of spaces to unpack toxic masculinity
Story of the White Buffalo Calf Woman
The ceremonies of the Dakota
Decolonizing men’s work
Personal healing as connected to collective healing
Wokeness and getting rid of the pedestal of perfection
Community approach to healing
The youth and fluidity of gender
COVID-19 and the liminal possibility of this moment
