Indigenous drag performers light up the Heard Museum with a high-spirited Pride event

Pyraddictionn sashayed down the runway, her bright red hair matched her red sparkly knee-length dress, which exposed black knee-high boots that made the Indigenous Fire Queen of Phoenix stand well over 6 feet tall.

A citizen of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian and Gila River Indian Communities, Pyarddictionn has been performing in drag shows for the past three years and to celebrate Pride Month, she was hosting the Heard Museum’s Native Drag Show.

“Drag shows are a good time to forget the world, forget about the bad and just have some fun,” said  Pyraddictionn told the crowd inside Heard Museum’s Steele Auditorium Friday night. “To all you children who are here, give a big round of applause for your parents who brought you. I know I would’ve liked to have gone to a drag show when I was your age.”

To get the show started right, and because some audience members were first-timers at seeing a drag show, Pyraddictionn gave the rundown of drag show etiquette. She told the crowd if they like something they see, they should be loud and cheer.

"If you see one that you like, one of the queens or male performers that you love: yell, scream," said Pyraddictionn. "I guarantee you when you scream they are going to appreciate that!"

And if the crowd loves what they see, they could show their enthusiasm with dollar bills for the performers, she said, as she graciously accepted the bills audience members were handing her at the same time.

The event attracted a diverse, enthusiastic crowd that came out to have a good time supporting the LGBTQ community, and to show love to the Indigenous performers. They included Rita Demornay, Felix, Tomahawk Martini, Té D. Demornay, and K.Yasss Savage and Judam Jackson.

Although it was billed as the Heard Museum’s first drag show, Erin Joyce, creative and marketing director and fine arts curator for the museum, said there had actually been another over 10 years earlier. But that was so long ago, that Friday night’s show might as well have been the first one.

“It's exciting to see the community come out," said Joyce. “This is not the first drag show we’ve had, and it will certainly not be the last.”

There probably wouldn’t have been a drag show at the famed Indigenous museum had it not been for Samantha Toledo, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and the Heard Museum’s digital content manager. Joyce said the Indigenous show was an event Toledo had wanted to do for quite a while.

Years before becoming the digital content manager Toledo was an intern, and during that time she would think about staging an all-Indigenous drag show at the museum.

“I was like 'it would be so cool to put up an Indigenous-only drag show,'” said Toledo. “Put together by an Indigenous person, with everyone in the show Indigenous, our DJ and designer Indigenous. I really wanted to bring in the community.”

The idea became a reality for Toledo and then a success as the audience hit room capacity early in the evening. Before the start of the show, the crowd was treated to  Indigenous poets reading their work.

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Pyraddictionn was always Toledo's host of choice. She said when she would attend drag shows around Phoenix, Pyraddictionn would be performing and they soon struck up a friendship.

“She was one of the first drag queens I saw out here,” said Toledo. “We became friends because I kept going to her shows.”

Pride month and drag shows have become popular events in recent years within tribal nations. The Navajo Nation holds the annual Diné Pride, which will take place this year June 20-25 in Window Rock. It ends with the largest Indigenous Pride parade on the last day of the event, with its own drag show with guest speakers.

To mark the start of Diné Pride, Navajo leaders will sign a proclamation, a show of support even though some leaders recently voted down at committee level legislation to recognize same-sex marriage in the Navajo Nation. The bill was eventually withdrawn.

On Friday, the performers found support among themselves.

"In the Native drag world we are all Indigenous and we all know each other," said Pyraddictionn. "We kind of all are from the same background. We kind of have the same experiences. So when we meet each other it's kind of immediate family. You feel close and connected with one another."

The night's performances were energetic and, at times, acrobatic as the drag queens got into their songs of choice, which ranged from Beyoncé to Dusty Springfield. Lip-synching, along with splits and jumps in tall high heels and colorful skirts or bodysuits revved up the crowd, bringing cheers and dollar bills.

Pyraddictionn said she is a natural mover, and when she got on stage for her performance the crowd loved her. She had done a wardrobe change, and had on a body-length bright orange, frilly robe and underneath that, a pink bodysuit with a sparkly belt, all over her knee-high black boots.

"I fell in love with music, moving and dancing," said Pyraddictionn. "The performance aspect of my life, I always want to be the center of attention. It feeds my happiness for me. I love being on stage."

Pyraddictionn's partner, K.Yasss Savage, is also a drag queen and also performed. One performer, Felix, flew in from Michigan to perform alongside her friends.

Felix's performance was high energy with a few splits thrown into the mix. She said she didn't know what to expect at the Heard, and was excited about the turnout and the enthusiasm from the audience. She was especially happy to see the youth there.

"Bringing in two-spirited, queer, Indigenous people together and showing Indigenous youth you can grow up to be whoever, express yourself however, is very important," said Felix. "As drag queens, we are pioneer spokespersons for the community. You can do drag shows, that's one thing. But it's about using your voice."

Toledo said she plans to make the Native Drag Show an annual event.

Arlyssa D. Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com. Follow on Twitter @abecenti.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Indigenous drag show celebrates Pride Month at Heard Museum