PROFILE: Se'mana aka Semee

Who are you? Where do you come from? What zine do you make?

Hello! I'm Se'mana aka Semee and I'm Akimel Otham/Hopi/Diné from the Gila River Indian Community, Arizona, the home of two culturally & linguistically distinct indigenous populations - the Akimel O'Otham (river people) and Pee Posh (people). I'm the creator of the mental health zine queer indigenous girl and the editor of Black Indigenous Boy, a mental health zine for children of color by two black Akimel O'Otham/Hopi/Diné siblings.

What would you like people to know about the zines you create and/or why you are looking forward to tabling at Phx Zine Fest 2016?
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Our zines come from a unique perspective: I'm a queer disabled, neurodivergent, chronically & mentally ill urban indigenous single mother and my two children are neurodivergent black indigenous boys. Our content focuses on mental health, self-care, culture + more. We consider our zines to be a safe space for us to be creative through art and comics as well as show our experiences as indigenous and black indigenous people. queer indigenous girl is open to submissions from individuals identifying as mentally ill, chronically ill, neurodivergent, disabled, indigenous, people of color, 2-Spirit, and QTPoC. I'm looking forward to meeting people at the zine fest, especially for my children - they are so proud and excited about their zine and introducing it to people!