Laura Norton-Cruz, LMSW, CLC
@lauritadianita.bsky.social
I ✍️ about AK politics, health equity, feminism, advocacy 4 kids, documentary films, 🎨, 🎶, 🥘,🌱 , ADHD, synesthesia. Social worker, public health professional, & lactation counselor raising Alaskan-🇨🇴 kids on Dena’ina ełnena. www.lauranortoncruzconsulting.com
Bueno, en Utqiagvik, sí, el sol desaparece por 2 meses. Pero un poco más al sur de allá, como en las comunidades cerca a Kotzebue (todavía en el Ártico), el sol sube un poco cada día (estas fotos las saqué en diciembre y enero allá). Y donde vivo yo tenemos unas ~5 - 7 horas de ☀️ en el invierno.
November 21, 2025 at 5:46 AM
Bueno, en Utqiagvik, sí, el sol desaparece por 2 meses. Pero un poco más al sur de allá, como en las comunidades cerca a Kotzebue (todavía en el Ártico), el sol sube un poco cada día (estas fotos las saqué en diciembre y enero allá). Y donde vivo yo tenemos unas ~5 - 7 horas de ☀️ en el invierno.
Also, on a selfish level, I like to visually reminisce about all the beautiful places I've been & things I've learned & people I've spent time with. I wouldn't trade the richness of a life well-lived for fame or $. I mean, I studied art, critical social thought, & social work for a reason, lol.
November 19, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Also, on a selfish level, I like to visually reminisce about all the beautiful places I've been & things I've learned & people I've spent time with. I wouldn't trade the richness of a life well-lived for fame or $. I mean, I studied art, critical social thought, & social work for a reason, lol.
1.) how I wish we lived in a society w/ more pathways to financial security & getting art out there for people who are authentic creators & activists, paths that valued that > salacious fluff & connections to elites; &
2.) how important it is for young women to see paths that match their passions
2.) how important it is for young women to see paths that match their passions
November 19, 2025 at 10:32 PM
1.) how I wish we lived in a society w/ more pathways to financial security & getting art out there for people who are authentic creators & activists, paths that valued that > salacious fluff & connections to elites; &
2.) how important it is for young women to see paths that match their passions
2.) how important it is for young women to see paths that match their passions
I could use to advance my career. It didn't occur to me that I could get famous & connected through pursuing conventional femininity & pursuing old rich men!
As my friend Joe said when I shared this train of thought today:
"Everything I'm not made me everything I am."
I loved my 20's. Truly.
As my friend Joe said when I shared this train of thought today:
"Everything I'm not made me everything I am."
I loved my 20's. Truly.
November 19, 2025 at 10:21 PM
I could use to advance my career. It didn't occur to me that I could get famous & connected through pursuing conventional femininity & pursuing old rich men!
As my friend Joe said when I shared this train of thought today:
"Everything I'm not made me everything I am."
I loved my 20's. Truly.
As my friend Joe said when I shared this train of thought today:
"Everything I'm not made me everything I am."
I loved my 20's. Truly.
...trying to be anti-racist, trying to understand the issues I'd focus my career on & how to conduct community-based participatory research & policy advocacy, that I barely focused on my appearance -- at least in any conventionally-feminine sort of way. And I'd never conceived of it as a commodity
November 19, 2025 at 10:12 PM
...trying to be anti-racist, trying to understand the issues I'd focus my career on & how to conduct community-based participatory research & policy advocacy, that I barely focused on my appearance -- at least in any conventionally-feminine sort of way. And I'd never conceived of it as a commodity
In my 20's, I was so focused on fluency in Spanish, writing a 140-page honors thesis based on original research, teaching 3rd grade in a low-income school district, understanding & advancing social justice movements, working as a rape victim advocate, trying to start a family...
November 19, 2025 at 10:06 PM
In my 20's, I was so focused on fluency in Spanish, writing a 140-page honors thesis based on original research, teaching 3rd grade in a low-income school district, understanding & advancing social justice movements, working as a rape victim advocate, trying to start a family...
Will you permit me a more-personal-than-usual 🧵 based on recent news?
For some reason this infuriating Nuzzi-Lizza-RFK-Olberman-Sanford story has me bemusedly re-thinking my 20's. Like, what if instead of all the school & growth & social justice, I'd focused instead on being pretty & a sugar baby?
For some reason this infuriating Nuzzi-Lizza-RFK-Olberman-Sanford story has me bemusedly re-thinking my 20's. Like, what if instead of all the school & growth & social justice, I'd focused instead on being pretty & a sugar baby?
November 19, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Will you permit me a more-personal-than-usual 🧵 based on recent news?
For some reason this infuriating Nuzzi-Lizza-RFK-Olberman-Sanford story has me bemusedly re-thinking my 20's. Like, what if instead of all the school & growth & social justice, I'd focused instead on being pretty & a sugar baby?
For some reason this infuriating Nuzzi-Lizza-RFK-Olberman-Sanford story has me bemusedly re-thinking my 20's. Like, what if instead of all the school & growth & social justice, I'd focused instead on being pretty & a sugar baby?
Yes yes yes; this is so important for those of us who are pro-human rights, pro-democracy, pro-justice.
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Yes yes yes; this is so important for those of us who are pro-human rights, pro-democracy, pro-justice.
Este sábado pasado, estuve en el programa “Charlas Sin Filtro,” un Facebook Live de 907 Alaska Espacio Para Latinos. Hablamos de la importancia de la infancia y el cuidado de niños, mis documentales 🎥, y de ACEs (experiencias adversas de la infancia). Vamos a seguir la conversación el 10 de enero.
November 17, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Este sábado pasado, estuve en el programa “Charlas Sin Filtro,” un Facebook Live de 907 Alaska Espacio Para Latinos. Hablamos de la importancia de la infancia y el cuidado de niños, mis documentales 🎥, y de ACEs (experiencias adversas de la infancia). Vamos a seguir la conversación el 10 de enero.
This morning I tried to “train” them to peck at the nipples of their heater water dispenser to get water out. Geez there’s so much to learn for someone like me who’s never kept livestock before.
November 14, 2025 at 7:16 PM
This morning I tried to “train” them to peck at the nipples of their heater water dispenser to get water out. Geez there’s so much to learn for someone like me who’s never kept livestock before.
Sorry, *10:30* at the Anchorage Museum on Dec 7th. (Though our film plays first and seating is limited so I encourage folks to come a little early.)
The whole festival lineup looks great & it's such an honor to screen at this festival, where previous Academy Award winners have screened!
The whole festival lineup looks great & it's such an honor to screen at this festival, where previous Academy Award winners have screened!
November 14, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Sorry, *10:30* at the Anchorage Museum on Dec 7th. (Though our film plays first and seating is limited so I encourage folks to come a little early.)
The whole festival lineup looks great & it's such an honor to screen at this festival, where previous Academy Award winners have screened!
The whole festival lineup looks great & it's such an honor to screen at this festival, where previous Academy Award winners have screened!
In non-terrible news, I finally pushed to make a long-held life goal happen & move towards food sustainability — I got 4 chickens! Pullets from a hatchery in Butte. My dad helped me transport & do some work on a free coop from a neighbor & the yard I bought. Lots of work but I’m glad to be here.
November 14, 2025 at 5:41 AM
In non-terrible news, I finally pushed to make a long-held life goal happen & move towards food sustainability — I got 4 chickens! Pullets from a hatchery in Butte. My dad helped me transport & do some work on a free coop from a neighbor & the yard I bought. Lots of work but I’m glad to be here.
I just found out when Josh & my film "ILP" is playing at the Anchorage International Film Festival! It'll be Sunday, Dec 7th at 10:00 am at the Anchorage Museum. I hope you can join us for this film & for more of the wonderful festival. anchoragefilmfestival.org/festival-sch...
November 14, 2025 at 12:53 AM
I just found out when Josh & my film "ILP" is playing at the Anchorage International Film Festival! It'll be Sunday, Dec 7th at 10:00 am at the Anchorage Museum. I hope you can join us for this film & for more of the wonderful festival. anchoragefilmfestival.org/festival-sch...
Even more fun with the right wax on my skis!
We truly are lucky in Anchorage to have amazing trails for every kind of activity, maintained by small non-profits & by the public-private partnership of our parks dept & parks foundation.
(Handheld 📱 🎥 w/ my poles in the other 🤚🏼, kind of high risk 😝)
We truly are lucky in Anchorage to have amazing trails for every kind of activity, maintained by small non-profits & by the public-private partnership of our parks dept & parks foundation.
(Handheld 📱 🎥 w/ my poles in the other 🤚🏼, kind of high risk 😝)
November 13, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Even more fun with the right wax on my skis!
We truly are lucky in Anchorage to have amazing trails for every kind of activity, maintained by small non-profits & by the public-private partnership of our parks dept & parks foundation.
(Handheld 📱 🎥 w/ my poles in the other 🤚🏼, kind of high risk 😝)
We truly are lucky in Anchorage to have amazing trails for every kind of activity, maintained by small non-profits & by the public-private partnership of our parks dept & parks foundation.
(Handheld 📱 🎥 w/ my poles in the other 🤚🏼, kind of high risk 😝)
Oh Alaska, we are so lucky to live here.
November 12, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Oh Alaska, we are so lucky to live here.
The ease of access to trails & ways to exercise in nature during (almost) every season of the year & every time of day or night — & w/o paying an arm & a leg — was a significant reason why I moved back home to Anch in my late 20’s.
I hope we can keep this.
🎥 from today
(Skis needed wax tho 😬)
I hope we can keep this.
🎥 from today
(Skis needed wax tho 😬)
November 11, 2025 at 7:21 AM
The ease of access to trails & ways to exercise in nature during (almost) every season of the year & every time of day or night — & w/o paying an arm & a leg — was a significant reason why I moved back home to Anch in my late 20’s.
I hope we can keep this.
🎥 from today
(Skis needed wax tho 😬)
I hope we can keep this.
🎥 from today
(Skis needed wax tho 😬)
I’m a sucker for ice fog & hoar frost. I wish I’d gotten more photos while hiking today to add to these ones taken from in and around my car, bc it’s an almost unreal kind of beauty.
Beauty and cold go hand in hand here, & I always sense that there’s a lesson Alaska keeps trying to teach w/ that.
Beauty and cold go hand in hand here, & I always sense that there’s a lesson Alaska keeps trying to teach w/ that.
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM
I’m a sucker for ice fog & hoar frost. I wish I’d gotten more photos while hiking today to add to these ones taken from in and around my car, bc it’s an almost unreal kind of beauty.
Beauty and cold go hand in hand here, & I always sense that there’s a lesson Alaska keeps trying to teach w/ that.
Beauty and cold go hand in hand here, & I always sense that there’s a lesson Alaska keeps trying to teach w/ that.
Anchorage! This event is happening Sat 11/08 at Loussac Library. 🤰🫄folks & families of young 👶🏽 can get free food, diapers, & baby supplies. Plz spread the word to families!
Programs & perinatal health providers will be there, incl. an amazing lactation consultant teaching infant massage.
Programs & perinatal health providers will be there, incl. an amazing lactation consultant teaching infant massage.
November 8, 2025 at 3:30 AM
Anchorage! This event is happening Sat 11/08 at Loussac Library. 🤰🫄folks & families of young 👶🏽 can get free food, diapers, & baby supplies. Plz spread the word to families!
Programs & perinatal health providers will be there, incl. an amazing lactation consultant teaching infant massage.
Programs & perinatal health providers will be there, incl. an amazing lactation consultant teaching infant massage.
100%!! Being strong of body & mind to face fascism, protect my family, intimidate Nazis & rapists & batterers, & offer an alternative vision of femininity is ~ 80% of my fitness inspiration!
The rest is practical — less pain in aging & I want to be able to haul up big fish ☺️.
I ❤️ your example
The rest is practical — less pain in aging & I want to be able to haul up big fish ☺️.
I ❤️ your example
November 7, 2025 at 6:19 PM
100%!! Being strong of body & mind to face fascism, protect my family, intimidate Nazis & rapists & batterers, & offer an alternative vision of femininity is ~ 80% of my fitness inspiration!
The rest is practical — less pain in aging & I want to be able to haul up big fish ☺️.
I ❤️ your example
The rest is practical — less pain in aging & I want to be able to haul up big fish ☺️.
I ❤️ your example
Can I vent re. smth that frustrates me about AK, this place I ❤️ more than anywhere? It's that 1 or 2 orgs get the monopoly on a topic & they set the tone & parameters of discourse & bc they often try to appeal to those in power, they avoid V. IMPORTANT TOPICS like ICE & how it affects their topic.
November 5, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Can I vent re. smth that frustrates me about AK, this place I ❤️ more than anywhere? It's that 1 or 2 orgs get the monopoly on a topic & they set the tone & parameters of discourse & bc they often try to appeal to those in power, they avoid V. IMPORTANT TOPICS like ICE & how it affects their topic.
Echoing @lucky7deb.bsky.social & @alaskarobotics.com to say YES, AK needs reliable income for basic state functions & to make good ROI investments like childcare, ILP, perinatal care, K - 12 education, & effective DV/SV prevention/intervention. & we need to conceive of & communicate it like this.
November 5, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Echoing @lucky7deb.bsky.social & @alaskarobotics.com to say YES, AK needs reliable income for basic state functions & to make good ROI investments like childcare, ILP, perinatal care, K - 12 education, & effective DV/SV prevention/intervention. & we need to conceive of & communicate it like this.
16/ I couldn't help but feel a connection to storyline about Natalie & Dawn's successes because the curated all-woman environment of Mount Holyoke College created the safe & encouraging space for me to hone skills & grow the confidence I then applied in the harsher world outside.
November 4, 2025 at 6:38 PM
16/ I couldn't help but feel a connection to storyline about Natalie & Dawn's successes because the curated all-woman environment of Mount Holyoke College created the safe & encouraging space for me to hone skills & grow the confidence I then applied in the harsher world outside.
14/ When the 2 groups find each other again, the men are more healed, the boy is more confident in who he is, & the women are stronger. W/ this, they're able to work well as a cooperative team to bring about a happy ending.
November 4, 2025 at 6:33 PM
14/ When the 2 groups find each other again, the men are more healed, the boy is more confident in who he is, & the women are stronger. W/ this, they're able to work well as a cooperative team to bring about a happy ending.
13/ And although Dawn, as an adult in her ~ 30's or so, already knew that she was talented w/ animals, her time on her own allowed her to practice these skills & contribute to the success of the overall mission -- something that eventually the men also got to witness when they came back together.
November 4, 2025 at 6:31 PM
13/ And although Dawn, as an adult in her ~ 30's or so, already knew that she was talented w/ animals, her time on her own allowed her to practice these skills & contribute to the success of the overall mission -- something that eventually the men also got to witness when they came back together.
12/ In their separation, Natalie discovers that she is *very good* at hand-to-hand combat against the Piglins & Creepers & other creatures of the "Overworld."
As a natural mentor & older woman, Dawn asks Natalie questions & helps to reflect back to her this skillset she has discovered.
As a natural mentor & older woman, Dawn asks Natalie questions & helps to reflect back to her this skillset she has discovered.
November 4, 2025 at 6:28 PM
12/ In their separation, Natalie discovers that she is *very good* at hand-to-hand combat against the Piglins & Creepers & other creatures of the "Overworld."
As a natural mentor & older woman, Dawn asks Natalie questions & helps to reflect back to her this skillset she has discovered.
As a natural mentor & older woman, Dawn asks Natalie questions & helps to reflect back to her this skillset she has discovered.