For thousands of years indigenous inhabitants of the North and South American continents considered trans/non-binary “Two Spirit” peoples not only a natural part of their societies, but individuals who played essentials roles in them as they were revered for their unique attributes and gifts granted by the Creator. However, since the first contact by so-called “Western Civilization,” they became brutally targeted in concerted efforts from the conquistadors to boarding schools and mainstream religions in efforts to eradicate them from existence, highlighting violently stark differences on how nations view gender and spirituality in culture wars that continue to this day.
Join author and journalist Adrian Jawort (Northern Cheyenne) and activist extraordinaire Kelly Twoteeth (Ojibwe/Cree/Salish/Blackfeet) as they discuss this history and personify Two Spirit resilience by telling their stories in order to not only further decolonize Native peoples, but combat bigotry for the greater good of society.
*This is a free event sponsored by Humanities Montana and the ACLU of Montana*