Indigenous Voices
November 13th at 8 p.m ET
Join the Leather Solidarity Collective as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month. We will be hosting an Indigenous Panel - “Reclaiming our Narrative” featuring Karri Joe Plowman, Dominick, Bootblack Allen, and Hope Lythi as they share their histories and truth with us.
Karri Joe Plowman (he/they 2Spirit): After retiring as non-profit leader and professional lobbyist… he was the creative talent behind Twin Cities Leather and the Leather and Latte café. They are now one of the last Native leather contest owner/producers running the TCL contest successfully for over 12 years. He has been active in the leather/kink world for over 15 years in the Twin Cities, Minnesota- belonging to several local and regional clubs including Chicago Hell Fire Club and the first Honorary Minneapolis T-Rexx member. He was the first person sainted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Ladies of the Lakes in recognition of his community work. He has also been recognized by the International Court of the Americans- Marcus Hernandez Leather Leadership Award. As a part of the Leather and Latte Team he helped them gain recognition as Lavender Magazine’s Small Business Community Award winner and Pantheon Small Business Award winner. Karri was recognized for his individual contributions with Lavender Magazine Individual Community Award winner in 2019. And has now written several columns for Lavender on leather community. Be it teaching classes, running pop up shops, or making really nice leather wear for our community, Karri is constantly contributing to the leather world. “I’m lucky everyday…I get to discuss, read, and think about leather and sex…how to make it fun, where we came from and where we are going. How we open and become a more inviting of a community while maintaining our rebellious nature.”
Bootblack Allen is a seasoned bootblack, educator, and advocate in the leather and kink communities. He serves as the Bootblack Coordinator and House Bootblack for Voodoo Leatherworks, President of the Council of Indigenous Leather, and is a member of the Doll House. As the devoted slave to his Master Kilot, Allen brings both skill and service to his workshops, emphasizing the intimate connections fostered through bootblacking.
Allen is also deeply committed to teaching about consent within bootblacking, highlighting the importance of communication and boundaries in the practice. A passionate advocate for Indigenous people, the trans community, neurodivergent individuals, and BIPOC representation in kink, he is dedicated to creating inclusive and supportive spaces. He works to amplify marginalized voices and ensure that BIPOC individuals have safe, affirming places within the kink world.
Allen co-hosts the Pups Podcast with his best friend Pup Locrian, where they discuss kink, identity, and advocacy, furthering important conversations around inclusivity and social change.
Dominick is a proud 2-Spirit Title holder in Montréal, Québec, with over two decades of community involvement focused on connection and support. Since 2019, he has held the title of Madame Cuir Montréal, advocating for inclusivity in the leather and kink communities while celebrating 2-Spirit contributions. He is also a bootblack and a Fire Keeper in Training.
Professionally, he serves as an Executive Assistant in the urban Indigenous community, supporting initiatives that elevate Indigenous voices. Dominick is involved with the Montréal RÉSEAU Network and sits as Vice-President of the Council of Indigenous Leather, advocating for 2-Spirit community. He teaches workshops on Indigenous history and crafts personal healing tools. He can be found as domravyn on FetLife.
Hope Lythi (she/they) Is the founder of Kink School. She has a dream of spreading good education to others, especially in rural locations. She believes kink education should be available to everyone. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hope joined Tiktok and promptly found the kinky side of things. Kinktok was missing much-needed education. She started making Kink Education clips for TikTok and started teaching classes over Zoom. Kinkschool was born! Before the pandemic, Hope took her experience from learning in Toronto (through Deviant Toronto, Second Circle, and Subspace Toronto) to start and host her local munch bringing kinksters from all walks of life, and levels of experience together in a safe environment.
She also taught the occasional in-person class at Deviant Unconference with a focus on mental health, intersectionality, and Fire Bottoming. These days she tends to work with other event hosts and teach them how to make their events safer and more inclusive. She recently worked to become a founding member of CoIL (council of Indigenous Leather) and advocates for indigenous representation in kink and leather spaces.