Episode 6: Sunny Red Bear

Sunny Red Bear is a multi-talented Lakota activist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. In Episode 6 of Not Invisible: Native Womxn on the Frontlines, we talk with Sunny about her various projects that touch on topics including MMIWG2ST. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunny saw a need for someone to bring resources to the elders in her community so she thought, “Why not me?” This episode is fueled by Sunny’s passion to create space for others as well as finding solutions for the world around her. 

Transcript

Tanis Parenteau  00:02

There's another Atos to the our podcast, not invisible native women on the frontlines is all about taking control of the narrative surrounding our people and communities, our existence, our sheer existence as Native people. The fact that we have survived and still live in this day and age is in itself an act of resistance,

Shea Vassar  00:34

fighting against negative stereotypes and reversing the incorrect rhetorics that we are less than or extinct or unimportant. We are here to remind the masses that we're still here and we are fighting for justice, for letting everyone know that we are not invisible.

Tanis Parenteau  00:55

And of course, frontlines look different for everyone. It's not always a protest. It's not always a march.

Shea Vassar  01:01

It is a way of life that we all choose to walk through each day in order to make a difference. This podcast is our frontlines.

Tanis Parenteau  01:22

Greetings everyone, Tom say needed him back. Welcome to not invisible native women on the front lines. I'm your host Tanis Toronto. And I'm still writing out the pandemic in the traditional lands of the Denisa DNA TA.

Shea Vassar  01:37

So what animals do you have written around your backyard now?

Tanis Parenteau  01:41

I'm still deer. We have a family of four Gertrude and the twins. My mom calls them I don't think the dad has a name yet. And we still have Ralph who's like a single guy. His hind leg when I first got here was all injured, but it's healing now. I've watched him I've watched him heal. He eats my mom's flowers. So I think that's been helping with the nutrients. And his leg has been getting better and I've gotten to see his antlers grow. This whole time. It's been amazing. But now we have bear bears saw bear poop in my backyard the other day. Not as fun as the deer but at least I didn't see the bear. What about you? How is New York?

Shea Vassar  02:21

Hey, you know back here will not be hooking. It's going. Fireworks are running wild all over the city again. And that's definitely not as cute as Ralph and his flower eating. But you know, it's okay.

Tanis Parenteau  02:34

Yeah, I can imagine.

Shea Vassar  02:38

I'll say, oh relatives. It's che vaster and today's episode features a very special individual who has seen needs in her community and figured out ways to fill them.

Tanis Parenteau  02:49

She is the brilliant and proactive Sunni red bear. She's a writer and advocate and an activist. Sunni story is so compelling. It's the art of grassroots activism from victim to healing journey to fighter, and

Shea Vassar  03:05

still somehow finding the strength to fight for others. She is such an inspiration.

Tanis Parenteau  03:10

She really really is. So everyone, let's meet Sunny.

Shea Vassar  03:14

Welcome, Sunny. We are so honored that you are here and willing to share your story with our listeners. Do you mind introducing yourself.

Sunny Red Bear  03:22

My name is Sonny red bear. I am a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. I am Lakota and also Irish. I come from a long line of, of warriors and activists, I a writer and advocate for Native women. I also am an organizer for the MMI W movement here in the Black Hills, and just now starting a nonprofit. So we're kind of in the beginning stages of that. My pronouns are she heard they, and I'm just happy to be here.

Shea Vassar  04:03

How exactly did you get involved with advocacy? How did you first start working on the frontlines?

Sunny Red Bear  04:10

When I think of being an advocate, I think that all native indigenous people are are an advocate for their families first and foremost. And so that's kind of where I started. My advocacy work is just finding resources for my own family and the things that we're dealing with as just indigenous people, whether it's, you know, brothers and sisters out of out of court and out of jail or, or it's domestic violence situations, different things like that, that's kind of where where everything started. And especially for me I was in unhealthy and abusive relationships and so I saw other people advocating for me, and it just really sparked kind of a fire within me to to be that because that's exactly what I needed in those days. Moments growing up, I was I was very unsure of where I could use my talents, my skills, and my gifts. And I just kept praying that someday they would all come together at some point. And I feel like opportunities continue to show themselves to me when and where I'm needed. And so that's kind of where everything started for me is being a victim and a survivor of my own experiences. And then wanting to to provide more research sources for people that were going through the things that I had gone through,

Shea Vassar  05:37

tell us a little bit about what it's been like on the frontlines of the mm IW crisis in your community.

Sunny Red Bear  05:44

It's been a learning process for sure. It's been very heavy. And there's been times where I have to take breaks from it, even in that I feel kind of senses of guilt for having to pull away. But I really have to take care of myself and my mental health. And in my own family, it's also been incredibly rewarding to use my platform and to use what I have, as far as you know, on social media and everything else, that I'm able to use those things in order to spread awareness and also talk about things that people just don't want to talk about whether it's in our native communities, or in our, our state, local and federal government, it's been an experience that has completely changed me in the way that I've viewed movements in the way that I've viewed our women in our resilience, and also the power that US native people and indigenous people have, when it comes to grassroots movements. I just think that it's been really eye opening for me on multiple levels. And so it's, it's multifaceted, and it's has different, different phases. It's definitely been a really good experience for me to learn from the elders that people that have come before me, and then also to learn from the sisters that I walked beside, to learn from them and their experiences, and then like, hear their words, because every time I'm surrounded by these just intelligent, powerful, fierce women, any anytime, anytime that they speak, you're constantly learning, you're constantly learning about your community, but also yourself, and then also your sisters. I'm just out here trying to advocate and listen to what our community is needing what Indian Country is needing, it's definitely taught me to reflect a lot on where I'm best utilized. And then also self care.

Shea Vassar  07:57

Self Care is definitely very important. I mean, have you seen more of an acceptance within your community, Indian country as a whole, but also outside of our communities, when when talking about murdered and missing Indigenous women, being here

Sunny Red Bear  08:14

in the Black Hills, in the heart of the Black Hills, Lakota people, this is our land, you know, we are indigenous to here, it also carries a very strong and heavy history. And there's a lot of energy here, a lot of heavy energy of, you know, racism, underlying racism in our school systems and in our businesses. And so it's been interesting to start marches and to be on the news talking about MMI W, and it's like, the first time that they're hearing about it, which is awesome. You get a lot of people trying to downplay what is happening to indigenous people, where we're, I live here, but also like, as I've, you know, lobbied in DC for different acts like savannas act and stuff like I've also been welcomed with open arms from different senators and representatives and who are really behind us in support. And so it's definitely been a mix. In our community. I feel like the awareness and the education is growing, and is constantly making progress. But you're also just fighting underlying misconceptions and stereotypes and lack of education as far as our history as Native people because I firmly believe that there's this huge huge chunk of of history about indigenous people in the Lakota people here in the Black Hills. You have pre boarding school where everyone's like, Oh, they lived in teepees and they will lie you know, all these this on was pre 1900s. And then all of a sudden it you skip all the trauma that we've gone through as indigenous people, all they see is on the on the other end of it that native people are homeless, and they're drug addicts, and they're alcoholics. And so they're missing this huge, huge chunk of education and information, education, definitely in our school systems as I see my son going through school now, and what they're teaching him and not teaching him. But that lack of education leads to a lack of opportunity to build empathy, and to really connect to indigenous people. So I see that a lot here in the Black Hills is just really lack of education. Also, the stereotypes are so deeply ingrained in our community, that we're constantly fighting multiple barriers and multiple levels of, of trauma and colonization. So

Shea Vassar  10:55

do you believe that these incorrect representation and these stereotypes play into two issues like in MI, W, and other that we're seeing now with the way that people are perceiving the way COVID is hitting Indian Country?

Sunny Red Bear  11:10

Yeah, definitely the stereotype always dehumanizing, they always disconnect us to just being human. You know, we sometimes feel as if like, an alcoholic, or someone that's homeless, did, doesn't feel the same emotions that we feel. And so that disconnect there is, is very much so of when you think of, you know, just necessities as far as like running water, and food, and shelter, and all those things, like all of a sudden does kind of like, become second to people in their minds, though, of things that they need. And so yeah, it's definitely those stereotypes play a huge part of it. You know, they don't, they don't look at on the hill, over in Rapid City, there's the Oglala Lakota college, right in the middle of a Rapid City up on the hill, they don't see 1000s of Native students getting their degrees, that are brilliant, and are pursuing a future, you know, for their kids for their communities. They don't see those people, they see the ones that are on the street, and that's who we get labeled as. And so when even when I introduce myself, when I talk to a non native person, sometimes they're, they're, like, shocked that I actually introduced myself and I shake their hand, and I'm confident, you know, and so you're having to break through multiple barriers, just to get to the, to the basic point that you're trying to get across to them, though, it's like, it's very tiring, it's very draining at times of like, trying to break through the barriers first, in order to get to the very thing that you're trying to talk to them in the first place. But it definitely plays a role. Yeah.

Shea Vassar  12:58

Yeah. And I think this ties into you are a huge advocate, not only for the MMI W, and getting that awareness out, but also for health and wellness. So tell me a little bit more about that, and how that plays into your advocacy.

Sunny Red Bear  13:15

I mean, that's just a part of our lives. My husband, he's a, he's a personal trainer, and he has his exercise science degree, me and him have kind of, like, different views on on wellness, like, he's a bodybuilder, he's like, he's so badass, you know, for me, I think that it's more of the self care and bringing it back to our traditional ways of like, taking care of ourselves and like teaching our children, you know, that same way of life. And really, it's just, it's movement, and it's being healthy in your body and in your mind, and how that all connects together. But also that today, nowadays in society and in social media, and all that it's also a good platform to, to, to connect with other people.

Shea Vassar  14:03

Ya know, I think that it's a very under utilized tool that Native people, you know, our communities can so easily connect to, like you said movement and just our traditional ways. Some of that due to, you know, the price of say, really great vegetables being more expensive than fast food, little things like that, that just play into how it can hurt us reconnecting to to our elders and, and those who have passed. I think that that's something that I've always been really upset about. Because you buy a whole bunch of great food and then you go to checkout at the grocery store, and it's way too expensive. What's a way that you could recommend some easy ways that you could recommend just kind of reconnecting to yourself and to some of the the ways have, I mean I know every every community is different, but even to you specifically to your, to your ways.

Sunny Red Bear  15:08

I think that is really going back to the basics. It's really understanding that having a moment to yourself and reconnecting with yourself and your body first and foremost, I think that we're so busy in our everyday lives that we forget to just like, take a moment, maybe when we wake up, to breathe, to feel every part of ourselves, I have to slow myself down a lot, because I am so busy, and I have to, to, like kind of recollect my spirit recollect myself of every place that I've been, and all the energy that I'm putting out into the world. You know, I'm one of my moms, I have multiple moms. She is a Denae woman, and she, I met her when I was around 22. And I was just lost, I was completely lost and broken. And she found me that way. And she, she used to remind me, you know, find your center, bring it, bring it back to your center. And she would talk to me about how every place that I travel throughout the day, you know, when I'm interacting with people, when I'm at the grocery store, when I'm dropping off my kid at school, all these different things like I am leaving a part of myself there. It's a It's my energy, it's my spirit. And so when when you come home that you call yourself back, and then you also visualize it, like you visualize the places that you've been, you visualize, you know, this light or this energy there, and then envision it coming back to you to really reconnect with yourself and bring it all back to you. And, you know, as a Lakota person, we do believe in that calling back your spirit, and not just taking care of yourself, like mentally and spiritually, but also like taking that moment to just breathe for for just a moment. I think that I am definitely not to an extreme, where I'm going to be meditating for like, an hour a day, I just, I just can't, you know, I can, but I don't. And I think that I have to start like adapting myself to my busy schedule, and just understanding like, I can take 10 minutes right now to just to just breathe, or like, put on some music and reconnect myself, or, you know, start saying my prayer, as I'm preparing my food in the morning, or making my quick smoothie, like just appreciating life and appreciating the food that I'm about to eat in the hands that prepared it and, and just thinking longer down the line of of, oh, this food is in my hand now. But who took care of it, who got it to me? And how we're all connected, in a sense. So I definitely practice that with my children. You know, at night, we say your prayers, and we sledge and they call back their spirits every night. And I think that mean, for me is the most important, I of course want to be out and I want to be like being physical, and I love to be in the gym and lift weights, and we we go hiking all the time and bike riding and we have a volleyball net in our yard and just trying to be active and stuff. But it's really just learning to connect with yourself. And I think that as just giving people we're always like, thinking of other people, and how I can take care of this person and take care of this person. And oftentimes, you know, we always forget to take care of ourselves. The

Shea Vassar  18:49

irony that taking care of ourselves also takes care of everyone else around us. Especially when you are giving so much as someone who you know is on every different playing field that there could be like you said, you've gone to DC to advocate. You know, you were also recently helping out with some of the the COVID and the communities that were directly hurt by the Coronavirus. So do you want to talk a little bit about that and how you've been able to help there?

Sunny Red Bear  19:19

Yeah, I think that a big part of what is happening now has really taught me that any person you don't have to have a crazy education, you know, a background you don't have degrees or or you don't even have to be fully connected or intertwined with a bunch of people like organizations or whatever. If you have two hands, you're able to make a difference. I think that during this time that has really shown itself in our grassroots movements because you know, as as a whole, all people, not just indigenous people but all people are being affected right now by this this virus. Now it shows that the government cannot handle like, everything that is that is going on right now. And so these grassroots movements that are the things that are happening within our communities are what are going to sustain us. And in the long run for me, you know, me and my friend, Nicole, we, I was actually just shopping. And I was like, okay, like, I'm going to try to get at least just a little canned food and some toilet paper. Like, that's my goals right now. Because like, the shelves are just, like, completely empty. And I was just trying to think of like, you know, providing for my family. And then my friend called me and she was like, Hey, we should do what the the Middleton twins over in lower Breuer doing. And I said, What's that? The other packages? I was like, oh, yeah, yeah. Are they? Are they still doing that? And she's like, Yeah, I think so. But that'd be really cool. If we did it here. And she's like, Man, I really wish we could do that. And I was like, why can't we let me call the twins now, you know? So I got off the phone. And I called Kansas Middleton out. And I said, Hey, I saw what you're doing in a community. Could you give me some pointers, because like, I really want to start it in rapid, but I don't, I guess I don't really know where to start and gave me a list of the things that they bought. And he said, we just got a couple $100 from donors and stuff. And we just started buying some pliers and putting it together. And so even though they didn't know completely how to they didn't really have like a mechanism or anything. Just knowing that he was like, Yeah, I mean, we kind of just started doing it. And so that's what me and Nikki did. I put a call out on my social media for donations, and they started coming in. And so we just started buying supplies, and were able to do 20 packages to start. And then then it was another round of 20. And then it was another round, we've reached over 200 homes now, three different communities, Somali communities on the Cheyenne River Reservation. So over there, it's just like a whole different story with their access to resources into food. So here, here in Rapid City, we're able to kind of pinpoint a certain part of, of rapids city that was predominantly native people. And so we went in there, and the property was run by HUD, so we weren't able to get any names, or they weren't able to tell us who lived where. So we were there sitting in there in the, in that small community here in Rapid City and with all our packages, and I was like, how are we going to deliver these if we don't like know where the elders live. And so I was like, Well, I'm gonna hop on Facebook, and I just want to Facebook Live, like ask people like if he knows an elder in, in Lakota homes here in Rapid City, like, send us a message and address. And then they just started rolling in to where we had enough names plus some. So we just started making another list for our next round. And, and it's just been really awesome to see it grow. And now we've actually partnered with Gable, which is the American indigenous business leaders, that me and Nicky have been a part of for a couple years now. And so we've partnered with them to be our fiscal sponsor. And we have just been taking donations. And as long as the donations keep coming in, we'll continue to make these packages. But we have a friend that we ordered through like through Cisco. So so we're able to get like big shipments in of canned goods and flour. And also things like ground beef, we've been doing ground beef, and potatoes and carrots and onions. And, and then also like toilet paper and cleaning supplies and all that stuff. We put over over 40 different things within our packages. And we decided that every package that we give is a package that we ourselves would want to receive. There's not like some like random, like, what am I going to make with this, you know, we wanted it to be like, here is ground beef, potatoes, diced tomatoes, and I can There's onions, there's carrots, and you can completely make a policy with this for your family. And then also I applied for the Indian collective COVID grant. And I did get that I received that. So that's going to be a huge help to us. And we're going to be able to, to reach further into the res, but then also just cover all the houses that we have different goals for each section of Rapid City. It's just me and Nicole. Literally just two of us and so we have been kind of like splitting Get off into sections. So we're starting in Lakota homes, and then we're gonna go to star village. And then we'll start coming to the west side. And like we have different areas. So it's definitely been a learning experience. But it's been really awesome to figure out our own mechanisms. And also, like, learn or like, kind of set up our own system, and then share that system with other people that are wanting to do it. So we've had other people reaching out to us, like, how do I get started, and then I'll, I'll just kind of send them what we have, like, here's what we're doing. And you could use this and you could change it however you want. But this is our list, we have an inventory of our supplies, we have a list of all the addresses, and the dates that we delivered and how many package like total packages they've had. And then we also have a letter that we we send to people, and then the letter is basically just acknowledging that these donations have come from all across the United States as monetary donations from from various people, to just bring us a set of, of supplies for you during this quarantine, just to help you and your family. And here's some ways of staying healthy. And then also, we've, we also included in there to start exploring and researching and thinking about our sovereignty as indigenous people, and start thinking about things in the future. Like a community garden, thinking of long term goals for you and your family, whether that's financially or health wise, start thinking about solar and wind, energy, things that within your community, that you guys can come together and do and then also encourage encouraging the elders to encourage their grandchildren and the youth to make connections like make that connections with each other, and the communities because we need each other generations ago, you could walk out your door and like go talk to the neighbors and everyone's kind of connected, it's like a family. And as generations have gone, it's becoming less and less of that, you know, it's becoming less connected. So we just encourage people to advocate for our youth and to promote those relationships within community. We don't have any like stipulations of like, who gets these packages, you have to meet this need, and you have to meet these this certain criteria or whatever. But it's just pretty much all indigenous people focusing on Elders first thought is true

Shea Vassar  27:39

community and like you said, as community is different now in our current age, what you guys have been able to do is, is create community through a Oh, I wish we could do that. Oh, wait, we can and so you're reaching out to these people who might, you know, also be upset that there's not a ton of community. I love that you're you're thinking long term. So educating them now on this is how you can be healthy during this time. But let's also create community through another way so that after this is over, we can continue to sustain ourselves. I think that is so incredible and very inspiring. We do as as just human need to stop with the what ifs and just see what we can do by reaching out to others. So and that's a true testimony of what you're doing. Is this like your big project right now or is there any other projects,

Sunny Red Bear  28:35

I always have multiple things going on on me and my my friend, Nicole we are are launching our nonprofit as well, which is called sinew. And it's going to be basically like a youth empowerment. It's also really tied in with mm IW. So when I talked about mid W being, you know, draining and very heavy. It's just because we are always at the end of it. We're always like, trying to look for the missing and trying to help people heal from the violence. And so we really wanted like pretty much most people that I've talked to really want to be on the front end of it on the prevention side. And so that is what our nonprofit is going to be about. on multiple levels, though, of just empowering our youth through financial literacy but also like body ownership and your basic human rights, your tribal rights and knowing those things. And so that is something that we're working on as well as the launch of that nonprofit. And, and then I am also a poet mentor. So I work with First Peoples fund and teach poetry classes, too. They have a emerging poets fellowship, so it's kids rates juniors, seniors and right out of high school. So we have six poets that we work with. And so I also teach poetry. And then I will be launching my first children's book, very soon, we're just finishing up illustrations like now, trying to stay busy. And then also just kind of seeing where I fit in, where I can best be utilized. In in different areas. Everything is just been a learning experience for me, like, I never go into a situation thinking like, I know everything, or that I am the expert on anything. Because every time I show up to something, I'm always learning something new. And it's so weird, because when I was younger, I don't know why. But I was always so excited for being 32. Like, I was like, I cannot wait until I'm 32. Because that's going to be the best year ever. And I don't know why I always thought that, but I just always did since I was a little kid. And now I'm 32. And it's like, wow, everything is just really showing itself to me and multiple ways. I'm just genuinely very happy. And so it's definitely been a good year. It's been a crazy year. But it's been really good.

Shea Vassar  31:15

A book as well, that is really cool. And I love the idea. There's been quite a few indigenous authors and coming out with children's books, and I think they are so beautiful. And and we get to share in each other's cultures and really embrace each other's different, you know, ideas? Do you are you allowed to say the name of the book and the illustrator? Or is that still under wraps?

Sunny Red Bear  31:43

Well, the book is still a bit under wraps, but I'm working with Erica pretty evil. Okay. Yep. And we've been working together for a while. And it's just been like this really, like easygoing process of like, we're not trying to rush about it. Like, let's, you know, let's just try a few things out and stuff. And yeah, it's just a really good experiment. Because one of the things that I really challenging myself to do is to is to write a book. And it's kind of like, my biggest fear. It's something that's like, everyone always asked me like, when are you going to write a book? Can I buy it now, you know, and that's always really encouraging to me, because sometimes I get impostor syndrome when it comes to writing. And so I always think, well, when is someone going to validate me in my writing. And so when people do validate me, it's like, gives me a little more encouragement. But I really need to just get past that, that blockage and just really, just do it. That's one of my, one of my biggest fears, is to, to put that out there, and to see if it's accepted or not. And so it's challenging me on on multiple levels. But that's also a goal of mine is to write a poetry book. So we'll see,

Shea Vassar  33:06

hey, I'm definitely saying to do it, because I, I mean, I'm excited for the children's book, but a book of your poetry sounds incredible. I love poetry, I think it's such an incredible tool. There's so much power in writing, you find expressive ways, which is, is really the healing power of writing. So that's why I also encourage you to write something and put yourself out there because I will support you. So

Sunny Red Bear  33:35

thank you, writing has been a huge part of my healing. And so I think that I need to just honor that in my process and honor it by doing that, you know, because I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. And I was adopted at a very young age, I was only two days old. But through those experiences, I wrote, you know, since I was probably 1112 years old, I had stacks of notebooks under my bed, that I kind of, like I hid away like, it was kind of like this, this ugly thing that I did, because of all the emotion that I would pour into my writings. And I would, I would hide them, I would like hide it under my bed. You know. And so that was that was like my healing under my bed. I just continued to do it and be more bold with what I wrote, being more bold about expressing myself and then also with expressing myself and getting those feelings experiences on paper in a creative way. Like you said, it helps you release it, but it also like, helps you in your mind, acknowledge that it happened to you. It's just on so many so many different ways is so healing and so I think that I definitely need to honor that in some way.

Shea Vassar  35:00

You are incredibly strong. And I admire you and your strengths and your weaknesses, because that's where we really see how strong we are. I appreciate your vulnerability, and also just everything that you're doing. Do you have any other things that you want to bring up?

Sunny Red Bear  35:16

I just really, really wants to just like grab people and just shake them up have a really just understanding their power as individual people. I think that like a lot of times people look at me or look at other activists or people that are out there or that have a larger social media following and think that like, oh, my gosh, they're doing all of this stuff. And you literally can wake up and do the exact same thing. Yeah, it's awesome to be to, to be out there and to be in DC, but I need to be home. I need to be in my backyard and helping where I can. I want people to understand that they have that power to do that.

Shea Vassar  36:00

Understanding our power,

Tanis Parenteau  36:02

exactly. Talk about empowerment. We get knocked down, but there's so much we can do to fight back.

Shea Vassar  36:08

And it takes people like Sonny and Ally Rebecca Regan,

Tanis Parenteau  36:14

and mesquite and Tabitha Jordan and Rosalie.

Shea Vassar  36:17

And really anyone out there listening who is feeling motivated.

Tanis Parenteau  36:21

Yes, we can make change happen. We are making change happen every day. I love our guests.

Shea Vassar  36:28

Me too. And I'm very excited for the next episode. As we go across the pond to talk with Leandra nefyn about Native representation in the UK and those pesky mascots.

Tanis Parenteau  36:40

Yes, it is a fascinating conversation to hear her talk about her experience as a native person overseas. Don't miss this one. This has been not invisible, a Red House series production. This episode of not invisible was produced by Steena Hamlin and very Adelberg written by Che Vassar, Barry Adelberg and Vicky Ramirez theme song another side by wild whispers and produced by Ben Reno, Ely love and Megan Lee. Our executive producer is Jen Beagle. I'm your host Tanis Bronto