"He Is a Morfidite and Needs a Man": The Queer Case of Nabor Feliz

Abstract:This essay focuses on queer Indigenous life in the early twentieth century through an analysis of the archive of Nabor Feliz, an Indigenous sculptor who toured with major circuses. In the essay, the author employs queer critique and Indigenous theory to contend that the circus offered Feliz opportunities for Indigenous expressions of sexuality that might not have been otherwise afforded them in this period. The essay is based on an examination of the photographs, letters, and newspaper articles in the archive, which is housed at the Southwest Museum. To the author's knowledge, this is the first article-length piece on the complexities of queer Indigenous life in the first half of the twentieth century and the first study of Feliz's life and work.