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Lance Tsosie

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Lance Tsosie
Born
Navajo Nation, Arizona
NationalityDiné
Alma materUniversity of Denver (BA)

Lance Jay Tsosie is a Diné activist, content creator, and social media personality, born and raised in the Navajo Nation. He has gained a wide following on TikTok under the username Modern Warrior, where he posts content about Native American culture.[1]

Early life

Tsosie grew up on the Navajo nation reservation in Arizona. At the age of 11, his mother moved their family to Glenwood Springs in search of better opportunities, particularly in education.[2] In 2008, when Tsosie was a high schooler at Glenwood Springs High School, he was selected by actor John Lithgow to participate in the Theater Masters' National MFA Playwright's Festival along with nine writers from UCLA, NYU and other high-ranked universities.[3]

Career

Activism

Tsosie received a B.A. from the University of Denver in Political Science.[4] While at the University of Denver, he served as the president of the university's Native Student Alliance. In a 2012 scandal on campus, the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and Delta Delta Delta sorority hosted a party where students were seen wearing Native American garb. In response to the scandal, Tsosie stated to The Denver Post, "We are not costumes. I ask that we all stand together to learn from this incident."[5]

In an interview about the photojournalist Aaron Huey's TEDxDU presentation "America's Native Prisoners of War", Tsosie stated,

"America's native prisoners of war" made me stop and think. It addresses the issue in a different way — [that] we are prisoners of a camp that was abandoned and forgotten. Although we may be from different tribes, we are still connected; they are my brothers and sisters. To this day, the pain is still here and I see it all across Native America. The cry for help has been shushed for too long. This is an issue that must be addressed, and soon. We as a nation, a people, cannot allow such a vibrant, rich and beautiful culture to be lost, devalued and overlooked. [6]

In 2019, Tsosie was an active supporter of Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential bid.[7] Today, he is active in the Denver Native American community and is attending the Morgridge College of Education.[8] Tsosie is on track to graduate with a master’s degree in June 2022.[2]

TikTok

Tsosie's TikTok content primarily showcases the mistreatment and lack of information about Native Americans. He is known for his catchphrase, "Hey, colonizer!"[9] [10] [2]

References

  1. ^ Angie Jaime (13 October 2021). "6 Native TikTok Creators to Follow Right Now". Teen Vogue. ISSN 1540-2215. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Fiona Murphy (November 2, 2021). "Meet Denver's Navajo TikTok Creator Confronting Racists Online". 5280. Denver: 5280 Publishing, Inc. ISSN 1082-6815.
  3. ^ Roberts, Michael (24 January 2008). "The Playwright Stuff". Westword. Denver. ISSN 0194-7710. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Event: Summit For Action, Equity in Conservation and Outdoor Recreation (Virtual)". Evergreen State College. MES Weekly. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. ^ Simpson, Kevin (28 March 2012). "Greek Life groups apologize to Native Americans at University of Denver". The Denver Post. ISSN 1930-2193. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021.
  6. ^ "TEDxDU talk about Native American reparations goes global". University of Denver Magazine - Archive. November 11, 2010.
  7. ^ "Lance Tsosie - Denver, CO" – via www.youtube.com.
  8. ^ Davis, Heather A.; Serrano-Bann, Pattricia. "We're still here and we matter". mymetmedia.com.
  9. ^ Rachel Kiley (6 June 2021). "Indigenous Tiktoker shuts down user claiming his merch profits from 'blatant hate for white people'". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  10. ^ Li Cohen (23 October 2021). "Teacher placed on leave after video shows her wearing makeshift headdress and mimicking Native American dance during class". New York: CBS News. Retrieved 11 December 2021. Popular Indigenous TikToker Lance Tsosie, who is known for their "Hey, Colonizer" videos, posted the footage, saying the video is "racist, ignorant and disgusting."

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