Two-Spirit Forum event raises awareness and acceptance in North Battleford

Delivering the Keynote address “There Are No Closets in Tipis” at the Two-Spirit Forum at the Battlefords Western Development Museum on Tuesday, Saddleback, who identifies as Two-Spirit and transgender and comes from Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, Alta., said this was the moment.

“I remember after each monthly drag show, I’d have to take these clothes off and this persona and I’d have to put on this other persona, this feminine persona,” he said, referring to societal expectations.

“It was through drag that I recognized that I’m actually a man and it’s about the age of 18 that I decided, ‘you know what…Forge was simply a door for me to step into my actual energy,’” he said.

“My energy which had been there for all of my life was now accepted within myself.”

Although he found himself, the journey wasn’t complete.

“I started to come out to family because I needed that acknowledgement from them as well to help me land in my own space, my own shoes,” Saddleback said.

After telling his parents, his father drove him around Saskatoon so he could tell the family members.

“At the end of the night, when I did my whole ‘coming out tour’ I guess, we parked in front of the house and he got real quiet and he said ‘OK, so are you going to tell me?’”

The young man was taken aback and his father elaborated.

“You went around and told everyone else, but you didn’t tell me.”

That statement threw the speaker for a loop.

“Dad, oh. Dad, I’m trans, I didn’t even think about telling you.”

Looking back on it, he said, that “funny flib” was something of a true measure of comfort and trust and there was no fear.

“I didn’t have this worry that he was going to kick me out of the house, I didn’t have this worry that he was going to say, ‘No, you’re not supposed to be like that.’”

Along with the keynote, artists and advocates also spoke through performance, spoken word sharing and a panel discussion.The event was cohosted by Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs and Battlefords Area Pride.

North Battleford Councilllor Thomas (Bill) Ironstand said the keynote was inspirational, speaking to the history of two-spirit people, but also their importance in Indigenous culture and the colonialism that led to Eurocentric Christian beliefs of sexuality being placed upon the communities.

“Him sharing his story with us brings to light the struggle and the doors that we still need to open for the transgender and the two-spirited nation,” he said, adding he hoped an event like this will bring awareness.

“In my Indigenous culture [2S] were always held to a high esteem,” he said.

“They were – as the presentation was saying – were our spirit guides a lot of time and very well respected and we’ve lost that path in Turtle Island and we need to bring it back.”

Other presenters for the day included Amanda Guthrie, Rex Pete, Jennifer Lenny, Xannper Martell and Janelle Pewapsconias. Ironstand said the city will be an ally for the community in its effort to be all inclusive.

For Guthrie, whose presentation “Allyship 101” was held in the afternoon, the most important takeaway was focusing on action rather than solely calling oneself an ally.

“Really working in solidarity with people, checking in with people to ask what they need and really following their lead,” she said.

Another way of working to be a dependable and safe ally was to understand that intersectionality is a huge part and that 2SLBGTQ people can work in solidarity with Indigenous communities and vice versa.

Guthrie said taking steps towards allyship includes looking at Bill 137 (provincial legislation that prohibits teachers from using preferred pronouns for those 16 and under) and pushing back against it.

“There’s many ways that we can still be affirming, even if we ‘re not able to use pronouns, we can be neutral in our language,” she said.

How does one start on the path to allyship? Look at what media you’re consuming.

“What TV shows and movies, podcasts, music are you listening to and ensure that it’s more diverse and that there’s representation of Two-Spirit and LGBTQ people within that,” she said.

Meanwhile, throughout Saddleback’s presentation, he spoke of the societal roles given to those with both masculine and feminine energies. Historically, they were often medicine people, name givers, mediators, storytellers and knowledge keepers.

“We lived in this physical realm – those things that you can touch all around you – but also the spiritual realm,” he said.

“Living in between two worlds is more than just these energies, it’s these spaces.”

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

by Julia Lovett-Squires

Two-Spirit Forum event raises awareness and acceptance in North Battleford

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