User:Tldignard/sandbox

Geo Soctomah Neptune
Geo Soctomah Neptune is a Passamaquoddy Two-Spirit (pronouns They/them), award winning master basket maker, activist, storyteller, educator, and performance artist from Indian Township, Maine.

After graduating from Gould Academy and earning a theater degree from Dartmouth College, Neptune felt an intuitive pull to return home. Neptune changed their plans of becoming an actor in New York City and instead volunteered at reservation schools, embracing traditional basket making techniques that were taught to them by their grandmother, Molly Neptune Parker, a Passamaquoddy elder and master basket weaver. When an international movement for native rights emerged in Canada and spread worldwide called Idle-No-More, Neptune found their calling as an advocate against government abuse of native people and lands.

Activism
Neptune joined the Idle No More movement speaking up and fighting for First Nations, and native peoples in the United States sovereignty, cultural preservation, and as a Two-Spirit speaking for indigenous people to be who they are and the freedom of defining themselves outside of colonization. In learning and carrying on the tradition of basket weaving is one way Neptune is able to continue their cultural heritage within the movement. They are very honest and fourth right about how linguistics between indigenous cultures and colonialism has broken down and erased First Nations truth outside binary norms, especially around gender. Neptune states, "A big part of dismantling tribal governments and working to colonialize us as a people was specifically by flipping the switch from matriarchal to patriarchal system. We went from a place where women were in charge to a place where women and feminine people and Two-Spirits were disrespected because Native identity was almost a direct antithesis to patriarchy." Neptune continues to speak in his native language and teaches that and other customs to preserve native peoples heritage, as well for future Passamaquoddy members.