Nat and Nina talk to DeLesslin George-Warren (aka Roo) about food sovereignty, indigi-queer language revitalization and why the heck the Keeper of the Seeds in Mad Max: Fury Road is carrying around a Basil start in a skull. Roo is an artist, researcher, and educator from Catawba Indian Nation whose work ranges from performance to installation art to community education. To follow his projects and find ways to support the work he’s doing, you can check out his website at delesslin.com, or follow him on Twitter, @DeLesslin.
With Roo
DeLesslin George-Warren (aka Roo), is an artist, researcher, and educator from Catawba Indian Nation whose work ranges from performance to installation art to community education to food sovereignty to language revitalization. From 2017-2019 he was the Special Projects Coordinator for the Catawba Cultural Preservation Project where he facilitated the Catawba Language Project (including developing and programming online digital assets such as the Catawba Language App), several food sovereignty initiatives, and other community education projects. Since 2019 he has continued to work for his tribe as a consultant on many projects including: language revitalization, food sovereignty, educational sovereignty, cultural healing, teacher training, grant writing and much more. He has performed, lectured, and exhibited throughout the U.S. including the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, College of Charleston, Vanderbilt University, Ithaca College, and more. In 2018 DeLesslin was recognized as a 2018 “40 Under 40” by the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development. In 2017 he was selected as a Dreamstarter by Running Strong for American Indian Youth and in 2016 he was recognized as a “25 Under 25” by United National Inter Tribal Youth. Roo is an alumnus of Vanderbilt University (B. Mus., 2014), Humanity-in-Action (Copenhagen Fellowship, 2014), and Columbia University’s Indigenous Studies Summer Program (2016). Some of his work can be seen at delesslin.com.
