Sage-Based Drag Night

Jana Schmieding is a Lakota comedian, writer, and performer who starred as the lead next to Ed Helms and Michael Greyeyes on Peacock’s Rutherford Falls, created by Mike Schur, Sierra Teller Ornelas and Ed Helms. She also served as a writer on the series, which debuted its second season on Peacock in 2022. Her performances can also be found on Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu), Spirit Rangers (Netflix), on Echo (Marvel) and Clone High (HBO Max). She has been featured in various publications including New York Magazine’s Vulture, NPR, Paste, Bustle, Bon Appétit and Vanity Fair, where she describes her trajectory from struggling artist to her co-leading role in the first Native American sitcom. Jana is a vocal advocate of Indigenous visibility and social justice and she discusses these issues regularly in her comedy and writing. She chairs the Board of Directors at The Chapter House. IG: @janaunplgd

Brian Bahe is an Indigenous comedian and writer originally from Phoenix, Arizona, now based in Los Angeles. He’s a writer for the CBS series Ghosts. Before that, he was a writer for the Fox series The Great North. He was named a “Comedian You Should and Will Know in 2023” by Vulture and he was a New Face at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in 2022. He co-hosts the podcast Sage-Based Wisdom where he and his co-host Jana Schmieding are joined by guests to offer sacred, Native advice to callers. Brian taped a standup set for Comedy Central Stand-Up Featuring. He hosts the monthly standup show “Star F*ckers: Astrology But Make It Comedy” at the Hollywood Improv Lab. IG: @brian_bahe

Landa Lakes is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, a writer, activist, and artist who stays connected to her roots and culture. As drag persona Landa Lakes, she founded two drag performance groups in San Francisco—the Two-Spirit Native American drag troupe the Brush Arbor Gurlz and the creative and campy House of Glitter. She is also the West Coast Mother of the Vogue House of Lauren, International, and is the recipient of the national pageant title Jewel of the Galaxy. Landa served as Co-Chair to the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAIT-S) for many years and remains on the board; she is one of the original founders of the BAAIT-S Two-Spirit Powwow, the first Two-Spirit public powwow. In 2019, she co-founded the annual Weaving Spirits Two-Spirit Performance Festival. Credits include RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 1 Episode 7, I’ve Been To Manhattan, Launch Pad, and The Roof. IG: @landalakes

Lady Shug is a proud Indigenous drag artist, born for the Diné (Navajo) Nation, raised in the Four Corners area of New Mexico. Lady Shug has been entertaining audiences for over 10 years, beginning her career with nightly performances on the Las Vegas Strip. Recently, Lady Shug felt called to return home to the Navajo Reservation and now lives along the Arizona-New Mexico border. In and out of drag, Shug uses both voices to challenge and make change for inclusion, acceptance, decolonization—always within the frame of Indigenous resistance. She was the first drag artist to host a pop-up powwow in Bentonville, AR with Live in America. Lady Shug was recently featured in the Emmy-awarded series HBO’s We’re Here, featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela, and Eureka. Currently, Lady Shug is touring the US & international territories with Landa Lakes on the all-Indigenous LaLa Land Back tour #LaLaLandBack Tour. IG: @ladyshugdrag

Bohenne Arreaux is an Indigenous (Jena Choctaw) Creole drag artist, photographer, and circus performer based in Los Angeles. Bohenne is a producer of Faerialand events, creating drag shows and networking events that highlight the queer and trans community. Bohenne is also a co-founder of YUQ Studios, a queer-owned production company that operates a creative space in DTLA dedicated to uplifting LGBTQ+ artists through photography, filmmaking, and community events. Whether flying high above the stage or shooting from behind the camera, Bohenne is decolonizing Los Angeles one show at a time! IG: @bohennearreaux

Big Mama Tama—Meet Brozlyn Lechelle, better known as the fabulous and unforgettable BIG MAMATAMA! A trained professional Polynesian dancer and celebrated drag entertainer, Brozlyn has dazzled audiences across the West Coast and beyond, performing in cities like Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Phoenix, Seattle, and more. Her artistry and charisma have earned her numerous pageant titles, including Diva of Polynesia 2006, Queen of Hawaii 2012, Aloha State Continental Plus 2016, and Royal Continental Plus 2018. Brozlyn has also left her mark on national stages, competing at Continental Plus Nationals in Chicago and achieving Top 12 honors three times. Additionally, she triumphed at Universal ShowQueen, taking home the coveted 1st Place title. Originally from Hawai‘i, Brozlyn made the move to West Hollywood in 2018, where she continues to shine as a performer and cultural ambassador. She had the opportunity to be in Disney’s live action Moana movie. BIG MAMATAMA is the embodiment of talent, grace, and island fierceness—a true force to be reckoned with! IG: @bigmamatama

Photo by Gina Clyne.