Google Doodle honors Native American lesbian activist Barbara May Cameron

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Google recognized what would have been the 69th birthday of Native American photographer, poet, writer and activist Barbara May Cameron with a doodle.

The Doodle was created by Mexican queer artist and chitimachan Sienna Gonzales. The image shows a cartoon of Cameron with a camera around his neck and holding a pride flag. LGBTQ+ figures of her are behind her along with her adopted city of San Francisco. The mountains of North Dakota are also present.

Cameron was born in Fort Yates, North Dakota on May 22, 1954.

She was raised by her grandparents on the Standing Rock reservation and was a member of the Hunkpapa group, which is one of the seven council foci of the Lakota tribe, according to a Google ad.

The lesbian creative and activist studied film and photography at the American Indian Art Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

She moved to San Francisco in the early 1970s, becoming active in the queer rights movement of the time and particularly pushing for the acceptance of LGBTQ+ people in Native American communities. She has also addressed the racism found in LGBTQ+ spaces.

Cameron co-founded Gay American Indians in 1975 with his friend Randy Burns. The group was the first Native American LGBTQ+ organization.

He has organized human rights initiatives throughout his life, from organizing the Lesbian Gay Freedom Day parade and celebration to co-leading a lawsuit against immigration authorities for alienating queer people.

\u201cPhotographer, poet, writer and human rights advocate \u2014 Barbara May Cameron did it all.\n\nToday’s #GoogleDoodle pays tribute to the Native American activist, who dedicated her life to fighting racism, sexism and homophobia \u2014> https://t.co/37VDVPVQ7A\n\n\ud83c\udfa8: Siena Gonzales\u201d

Google Doodles (@Google Doodles) 1684760401

People know Barbara’s serious side, because she was serious about justice, serious about civil rights and the safety of natives, lesbians and gays, women. But she had the playful side of her and the softer heart, Cameron’s partner Linda Boyd-Durkee said in the statement.

The activist loved animals, spending time with her son and hanging out with friends while enjoying the beauty of the Pacific coast, Boyd-Durkee said.

Google notes that HIV disproportionately affects indigenous peoples. This fact led Cameron to participate in the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the American Indian AIDS Institute, and as a consultant for the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are people all over the country who were touched by something she said in a speech at a college Women’s History or Native History class, or at an AIDS conference or LAFA event, or anywhere else Barbara has spoken Boyd-Durkee said. Our hope for her legacy is that those who have been so moved will honor her by defending the lives she dedicated hers to.

Cameron died of natural causes on February 12, 2002, at the age of 47.

As a queer woman of color, this project served as a powerful reminder that intersectional activism has a rich history that predates my personal awareness. It was both surprising and noteworthy to find that individuals like Barbara have been bravely speaking up and making changes for far longer than I realized, said Gonzales, the artist behind the Doodle. Their continued commitment inspires me on my journey.

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