by Maureen Strickland
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
MANITOULIN—While an early spring snowstorm brewed outside, Island youths were inside feeding their inner fires at the third annual Two-Spirit Youth Gathering on March 25.
‘Coming In: Claiming Your Space in the Circle’ was the theme of the first in-person two-spirit youth gathering since the pandemic, organized by Mnaamodzawin Health Services and held at the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre.
Two-spirit refers to gay, lesbian and transgender people in First Nations culture.
Embracing your fire and unique inner spirit was a main message of the gathering.
After a traditional prayer, song and drum, Elder Josh Eskhkawkogan started the day with a fire teaching. He asked those in attendance to “open your hearts today” and “use your breath to ignite the fire within.”
Mnaamodzawin Executive Director Craig Abotossaway spoke more about the “fire within,” linking it both to science and cultural traditions.
Mr. Abotossaway shared how we need “to take care of our fire, name it, cleanse it, feed it and build a relationship with it.”
Culturally this is done through the traditional naming ceremony, smudging, grounding in mother earth, drumming and singing in your original language.
“You get colonized at birth, and then colonization continues at school,” said Mr. Abotossaway, “you must remind yourself who you are.”
He also shared “that the longest journey in life is from your head, back to your heart.”
Once you know your spirit, you can reclaim it and develop your voice said Mr. Abotossaway.
Mnaamodzawin has a mission to strengthen community harmony and well-being by ensuring access to high quality holistic services which promote personal, family and community responsibility of health care.
Supporting and connecting two-spirit youth on Manitoulin Island, as part of this mission, is clearly important to the staff of Mnaamodzawin. The original idea to make Mnaamodzawin a safe space for two-spirit youth came from Allied Health Manager/Human Resources Officer Rebecca Milne.
Ken Lander, mental health clinician at MHC, led a conversation before lunch, giving the youth, parents and frontline workers in attendance the opportunity to use their voices, introducing themselves to the group and naming their pronouns. As a safe space, anyone could also take a pass.
Many youths shared their names and pronouns in their original language.
Mnaamodzawin runs other events for two-spirit youth regularly besides the annual youth gathering and Mr. Lander asked those gathered for new ideas.
In addition to activities like sewing and hiking, both youth and parents suggested a discussion and education around pronouns and all the gender options on the range of the entire rainbow spectrum would be very helpful and informative.
Gathering.
One parent said, “we want to be supportive, but all the options in LGBT++ can be confusing and overwhelming.”
Besides the empowering message of embracing your fire, your unique spirit and helping to educate the community in supporting two-spirit youth Mr. Lander also wants youth to know that “Mnaamodzawin is a safe space; you are not alone and Mnaamodzawin wants to facilitate creating a community connection.”
Mr. Lander noted that Manitoulin Island is a large place with small communities where two spirited youth live, so bringing two-spirited youth together to meet new people, make friends and connections is very important.
An art activity after lunch with Mark Seabrook, then a Talking Stick Teaching with elder Nokomis Oshkabewisens reinforced the theme of connecting to your unique spirit, finding and using your voice.
In addition to the inspiring teachings, there was swag—shirts and rainbow socks, bags, buttons, bandanas and stickers.
All those rainbows were also lighting up the fire within on a stormy Saturday.
Please contact Ken Lander at Kenneth.lander@
mnaamodzawin.com or 705-368-2182 ext 239 for more information about two spirit events or to connect.
