Powwow in Saskatoon celebrates 2SLGBTQ+ community before Two-Spirit Awareness Day

Two-spirit Indigenous people are embracing who they are culturally and traditionally as a day of awareness meant to celebrate them approaches.

The Two-Spirit in Motion Society (2SIMS) held its second annual powwow to honour 2SLGBTQ+ people on March 15 and 16 in Saskatoon. Organizers said it was a success, with people gathering from far and wide.

Warren Isbister-Bear, a member of Ahtakakoop First Nation, is the Saskatchewan representative for 2SIMS. He said it was an amazing turn out of supporters, dancers and drum groups.

"Last year we had one drum group show up," Isbister-Bear said. "[This year] we were expecting maybe 10, and to see upwards of 12 drum groups show up today, it's so empowering."

Warren's husband Osemis Isbister-Bear, a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, was one of the head dancers at the powwow. He said he was overwhelmed by emotion at one point.

"I felt really touched," he said. "Our people are very loving and caring, kind, and they support two-spirit people to be their authentic selves."

Last year the couple was initiated into the powwow circle and say they felt so welcomed by everyone. They travelled to 20 powwows all-across Turtle Island (Canada and the U.S.).

Warren and Osemis have been married for 10 years now. They said it is encouraging to see these events happening more frequently and the attendees embracing the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

"We're all kin related," Warren said. "It's the same as every other powwow, but you're just going to be dancing with men and women, two-spirit people, trans people in the same category."

Osemis encouraged anyone interested to come out to any two-spirit powwow.

"Everyone's welcome into this space," said Warren. "We're just trying to create a safe, inclusive space, right down to our pipes. We raise the pipe every day and it's a gender-neutral pipe."

'We follow protocol the same as anybody else'

Gayle Pruden is a two-spirit knowledge keeper originally from Pinaymootang First nation who now lives in Winnipeg and works with 2SIMS. Everyone at the events refers to her as Kokum Gayle.

"I love coming to events like this," Pruden said. "I go anywhere where I'm needed, especially to come and support the two-spirit youth.

"In my days in the late '80s, we had nothing like this. We didn't even have human rights."

Pruden said it means so much to see powwows and other events celebrating two-spirit people.

"We're not any different," Pruden said. "We follow protocol the same as anybody else."

Pruden recounted an incident at an event she was speaking at, where a two-spirit youth was asked to leave because they weren't dancing in their gendered category.

"That shouldn't be anything big because we're all from the same Mother Earth," Pruden said. "Creator is the one who put us here. There's no need to judge anybody for the way they choose to live."

Pruden said she hopes everyone will live in harmony  in the future.

"Walking this red road, nobody says it's easy. Life is not easy, but it's up to you how you want to live your life."