DRAGing Time Travel with Lady Shug
By Lady Shug
In this experience at the La Fonda Hotel in downtown Santa Fe, Lady Shug takes you on a drag tour of the history of La Fonda, from the Santa Fe Trail, to the Harvey Girls. Shug also educates us on MMIW, and mutual aid opportunities in New Mexico.
I wanted to make an queer indigenous led piece, about a time keeper traveling through history and highlighting some of the forgotten, the MMIW, MMIR. This piece is also highlighting indigeneity that is sometimes forgotten in the city of Santa Fe, and our culture and traditions. Come time travel with me, Lady Shug, and learn with me from those who don’t have words.
Explore the history with Valerie Rangel
Each site in the Ojos Differentes project was chosen in collaboration with Santa Fe City Historian Valerie Rangel, as an augmented reality expansion and collaboration with her GIS storymaps. Learn more about Santa Fe by reading her storymaps below.
About Lady Shug
Lady Shug is a member of the Dine (Navajo) Tribe . Shug lives in New Mexico and is fighting for equal rights as an activist for 2SLGBT+ indigenous relatives, to create equal rights in rural areas and reservations that do not normally protect those on indigenous lands. Lady Shug’s creativity has connected with a passion for drag and female impersonation, using the platform of the stage and standing in solidarity to create social movements in Shugs drag performances. Shug has been featured in USA today, New York Times, VICE, Vouge Spain, and PBS. Just recently on HBO special “We’re Here,”The series goes to small towns, empowering everyone to the art form of drag. Shug was one of the highlights in the season finale, as an indigenous queen that strives to bring drag back to our indigenous territories.
Lady Shug is currently on Tour with the LaLa Land Back tour - an all indigenous drag show with Landa Lakes.
You can find Shug on Instagram @LadyShugDrag