Sacred Voices

Astin Lopez

Astin Lopez is a musician, writer, worker, and sound engineer currently living in Denver, Colorado. He has a BS in Music from the University of Colorado Denver. His music is focused on isolation, depression, and the struggles of modern society. He is the Director of Media for Sacred Voices. He produces and organizes all of Sacred Voices' Open Mics, as well as manages Sacred Voices' online presence. Astin is also a freelance songwriter and audio technician writing music for local shows such as Circus Foundry and providing audio expertise to Abiding Hope Church.

Joshua Emerson

​Josh is loud. Joshua is a Dine’ (Navajo) comic based in the Denver scene with a loud and dynamic style that he uses to tackle subjects like race, culture, and mental health with emotional intelligence and volume. Not a subtle man, Joshua works to use his expressive and energic manner to bring positivity and build community amongst audiences across the country. Joshua has worked on shows with several famous comedians and some of them were very funny. Joshua is a founding member of the award-winning comedy troupe and production company, Deadroom Comedy. In his spare time, Joshua likes to remind people that he majored in Economics as well as walking his lovely dog, Lola. 

Tanaya Winder

Tanaya Winder is a poet, writer, artist and educator who was raised on the Southern Ute reservation in Ignacio, CO. Tanaya has taught writing courses at Stanford University, UC-Boulder, and the University of New Mexico. She has a BA in English from Stanford University and a MFA in creative writing from UNM. She is a co-founder of As/Us: A Space for Women of the World. She was a TEDxABQ speaker in 2013. Tanaya is the Director of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Upward Bound Program, which services 103 Native American youth from 5 states, 12 high schools, and 5 reservations across the country. Finally, she created Dream Warriors Management, which currently consists of Indigenous Artists: Mic Jordan, Lyla June, Tall Paul, and Frank Waln. Tanaya manages these artists, each of whom travels to perform concerts, run workshops, teach empowerment and artistic skill sets, and speak at various engagements throughout the country.

Josie Valadez-Fraire

Josie Valadez Fraire is an indigenous womxn, feeler, lover, and thinker currently living on occupied Cheyenne and Arapaho territory in so-called Denver, Colorado. Her homelands are south of the colonial border in so-called Mexico. Her work is focused on community and youth centered decolonizing knowledge sharing and mental health. Specifically, she works to unpack topics of indigeneity in Brown communities that have been denied access or opportunity to learn traditional ways of knowing and being. She loves to write, listen, laugh, pray, and (un)learn. Josie prays to support in healing herself, others, and our Earth through lovesharing and sacred connection with all relations. 

Jenny Valadez-Fraire

Jenny Valadez Fraire is a Bold Barista, Thrive member, and jewelry entrepreneur, based in Denver, Colorado. She is currently a student at Metropolitan State University. She owns and operates a small business selling beadwork.