ChSt 128 | Spirituality as Resistance in Xicana[x] Art Praxis Presents

Fall 2025 Academic Speakers

Charlene O'Rourke, Taoyewakanwi (Her Ways Are Sacred), is an Oglala Lakota woman born on the Pine Ridge Reservation. For over 40 years, she has served as a ceremonial musician, singer, composer, and performer. Charlene works as a Native Consultant, International Certified Addictions Counselor, and motivational speaker serving rural and urban Native communities. She collaborated with NASA on a project studying the Indigenous Lakota Star Constellation, resulting in the publication of D(L)akota Star Map Constellation Guide: An Introduction to D(L)akota Star Knowledge.

Jesus Barraza is an interdisciplinary artist with an MFA in Social Practice and a Masters in Visual Critical Studies from California College of the Arts, and a BA in Raza Studies from San Francisco State University. He is co-founder of Dignidad Rebelde, a graphic arts collaboration producing screen prints and political posters, and a member of JustSeeds Artists Cooperative. Currently a lecturer in the Ethnic Studies department at UC Berkeley, Barraza works closely with community organizations to create prints that visualize struggles for immigration rights, housing, education, and international solidarity. His work has been exhibited at institutions including the de Young Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Galeria de la Raza, and internationally in Rome, Tokyo, Mexico, and Bolivia. He is a recipient of the "Art is a Hammer" award and the "Exemplary Leadership Award" from SFSU's College of Ethnic Studies.

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