Pride Winnipeg

TheWCB supports diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Had this year's Pride Winnipeg party not been sidelined by COVID-19, it would have marked the festival's 10th summer at The Forks, a site that for centuries served as a meeting place for Indigenous people from across Canada. at anniversary will have to wait until 2021 (organizers are calling this year's fest Version 9.5), but there's an even more historic milestone that won't have to be deferred — the 30th anni- versary of the term "Two-Spirit," which origin- ated here in Manitoba. On Aug. 4, 1990, at the third Gathering of Native American Gays and Lesbians near Beausejour, Dr. Myra Laramee — a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation — brought the name to a sharing circle of 80 attendees from across North America. It was received through ceremony, and adopted by many Indigenous groups the following year. "It's a neologism, which is a modern term that's introduced as an interpretation of some- thing old," says Albert McLeod, co-director of Two-Spirited People of Manitoba. "People use the term Two-Spirit to define who they are, because it's not just about your gender or your sexual orientation — it's about your entire identity and your culture and your spirituality." Reclaiming the name in 1990 — the same year as the Oka resistance and the defeat of the Meech Lake Accord — was seen as an act of de- colonization and reconciliation, McLeod says, noting early colonial governments and church- es sought to abolish all forms of Indigenous identity and spirituality, including the tradition of spirit-naming. As residential schools endeavored to shame the traditions and roles ascribed to LGBTQ people, such names and descriptors fell out of use over generations, eventually being replaced with derogatory and transphobic slurs perpetu- ated elsewhere in Canadian society. "A lot of these schools were run by church groups that had a very set idea of male and fe- male, and of sexuality," says McLeod. "All Can- adians have been impacted by that, but I think more so Indigenous people, who were forced into situations where this dogma was forced onto them for generations." McLeod says adoption of the Two-Spirit name has helped to spark a sea change of rec- ognition and acceptance. Up until recently, Indigenous people oen existed at the fringes of mainstream LGBTQ consciousness, but at- titudes have changed as new generations have greater exposure to diversity through socializa- tion and media. "For some Two-Spirit people in this genera- tion, they're growing up not having to be in the closet," McLeod says. "ey come out very early, whether they're trans or LGBT, and their family is able to provide them with supports, and really help them with their path in life. It's very dif- ferent from the past … when there was a lot of stigma and fear and shame." As evidence, McLeod cites the 2019 National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, which included more than 30 2SLGBTQQIA-specific Calls for Justice in its final report. He also notes inroads made closer to home, aer Pride Winnipeg organizers were criticized for not fairly representing Indigenous and Queer and Trans People of Colour (QT- POC) in marketing efforts or at events. In 2016, following community consultations and the launch of a five-year plan to step up in- clusion and diversification efforts, Pride Win- nipeg launched a campaign that put Two-Spirit and QTPOC at the forefront of promotional materials. In 2017, Pride Winnipeg partnered with Sun- shine House and Two-Spirited People of Mani- toba to host the festival's first Two-Spirit pow wow at e Forks. e tradition has continued since then, but as with all events scheduled for 2020, this year's will take place in a digital for- mat, with dancers appearing as part of the eight- hour performance sessions being streamed by Pride Canada on Sept. 12 and 13. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALBERT MCLEOD TWO-SPIRITED PEOPLE OF MANITOBA CO-DIRECTOR ALBERT MCLEOD In 2016, following community consultations and the launch of a five-year plan to step up inclusion and diversification efforts, Pride Winnipeg launched a campaign that put Two-Spirit and QTPOC at the forefront of promotional materials. Reclaiming an Indigenous Tradition TWO-SPIRITED PEOPLE OF MANITOBA MARK A 30-YEAR MILESTONE TWO-SPIRITED PEOPLE OF MANITOBA CO-DIRECTOR ALBERT MCLEOD (RIGHT) MARCHES WITH FRIENDS FROM PUKATAWAGAN FIRST NATION IN THE 2019 NEW YORK CITY PRIDE PARADE. 10 | SEPTEMBER 4 -13

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