Ellie (Eagle Feather)
My Story
Meet Ellie!
Ellie talks about her family and Mexican culture
Ellie talks about the parents that raised her, and the loss of her biological mother
Impacts of school years on Ellie’s later life, and her love of learning
Ellie’s love of learning inspired her to teach from an early age
History of the area prior to Disneyland and a missed opportunity
Love of the arts, and learning about culture through film
Love of sports, playing baseball and tennis, and confidence
Traveling through her parent’s work, and storytelling
Ellie’s memories of her dad, who was a big inspiration to her
Ellie talks about piecing together her strengths, identity as a Curandera, interest in mental health and eventual study of sociology
Volunteering experiences from the classroom to prison
Ellie talks about her sexual orientation, keeping her personal life separate, and eventually sharing with family
Experiences with church
Loved Ones
Ellie learned what she has learned about love
Ellie shares her history with her high school sweetheart (who she reconnected with later in life)
Early experiences and Ellie’s first relationship with a woman in junior college
Experiences dating men
Meeting her first love at UC Irvine
An important relationship and struggles to balance relationship and career
Ellie shares her experience of having an abortion
Meeting her first transgender partner through a personal ad
Ellie and Renee eventually pursue different life paths and part ways
A new job and heartbreak lead Ellie to Fresno
Work at Fresno City College and mentorship to the Chicano Club
The story of Ellie meeting her partner of 30 years, and how it was foretold in a life chart reading by a psychic
Moving “back East” with Virna as was foretold in a life chart reading by a psychic
Challenges
Life’s challenges both present and past
Life philosophy of “Just stay in the fight” and working for the greater good despite facing adversity
Ellie’s two lives - at work, and her personal life
Ellie talks about the recent loss of her partner of 30 years and her high school sweetheart who supported her
Ellie shares how she moves through grief
Accomplishments
Defining success as accomplishment and learning from failures
Ellie describes that she is most proud of her work in the Civil Rights movement
Thoughts for queer youth on organizing learned from work in the Civil Rights movement
Life’s work that Ellie will leave behind, and how she hopes people celebrate her life
Regrets & Fears
Ellie shares her one regret
Elllie talks about her hopes for her living situation in what she calls her “last chapter”
Ellie reflects on a family story about forgiveness
Values
Ellie shares how she got her name, Eagle Feather
Ellie talks about finding spirituality in her unique gifts and thorough life’s work and experiences
Ellie discusses Indigenous teachings and being caretakers for Mother Earth
Experiences in different churches
Life lessons from Sally Jesse Raphael
Ellie talks about her love of humor as a life philosophy
In response to the question, “how did you learn to trust yourself?”
Ellie shares a message she has written titled ‘Mother Earth Speaks’
