Trudie Jackson a member of the Navajo Nation and identifies as a 5th gender person. Her clans are Bitterwater and Folded Arms People, then the Mexican People and Yucca Strung Out In A Line. Originally from Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, but currently reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a 2nd year doctoral student at the University of New Mexico in American Studies with researching focusing on American Indian Transgender Women in Urban Areas.
Trudie has been a community activist and social justice advocate by standing up for communities of color inclusion in spaces often occupied by non-person of color including American Indians. She founded the Southwest American Indian Rainbow Gatheirng, which is currently in its 8th year in Phoenix, Arizona that addresses health disparities of American Indians that identify as Two Spirit (SLGBTQ). Her tireless advocacy lead to receiving the Marty Prairie Red Ribbon Award from the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center in 2008 for her strong voice, action, and leadership in tribal (urban/rural) communities. In 2017, she was awarded the Equality Arizona Skip Schrader Spirit of Activism Award at the It Gets Better Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Since relocating to Albuquerque, New Mexico, she is a Board member for the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico. Recently presented at TPATH in Vancouver, BC, Canada in 2017 by sharing her experience of utilizing the Indian Health Service as an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe of the US.
Trudie’s educational journey would not have been possible without the financial assistance from the Phoenix Pride Scholarship, Udall Foundation Scholar in 2011, American Indian Services, Office of Navajo Nation Student Financial Assistance (ONNSFA), and Teec Nos Pos Student Chapter Financial Assistance. She is a four time POINT Foundation Semifinalist and continues to apply to one day become a POINT Scholar.
Trudie’s journey as an American Indian transgender women by walking in Two Worlds has been challenging, but has always followed her motto: determination, motivation, perseverance, and resilience.
Trudie is a candidate in the Navajo Nation Presidential election as the first Navajo transgender women running for the highest office of the Navajo Nation. She has continued to break down barriers by being an inspiration to all transgender people.
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