#ktunaxa

✨two spirit appreciation post ✨

first lets talk about what 2 spirit and why the term is important

a lot of people here on turtle island tend to have very black and white perspectives on sex and gender and gendered roles in american society but when people say gender is a social construct thats not just a catchy slogan it is something purposefully constructed that changes over time with societal values and it is a fairly new social construct especially within the context of turtle island

before colonization the social values held around gender sex and gender roles held by the people indigenous to this land were incredibly varied and complex and specific to each groups cultural and spiritual beliefs and values but they were overwhelmingly beliefs that not only viewed sex and gender as complex and fluid but celebrated those born with complex relationships with sex and gender and saw them as important spiritual members of their communities

after colonization indigenous people were killed en masse and separated children from their families in order to force their children into boarding schools because only through force and violence could colonizers make it seem as if their own cultural and societal values were not only normal and rational but righteous and moral

if sex and gender were truly binary and men belonged at the top of our societal hierarchy naturally and women were made to be subservient to men if these were truly normal civilized and natural ways of viewing the world it would not require genocide in order to enforce it

2 spirit describes an anti colonial movement within indigenous communities in attempt to form community around indigenous spiritual and cultural beliefs around sex and gender based on their own cultural and religious histories

2 spirit typically describes someone who holds both feminine and masculine spirits simultaneously but it has a wide range of meanings related to individual cultural beliefs

2 spirit is a term for indigenous people based on the history of indigenous peoples and only indigenous people can claim this identity

while the vast array of experiences 2 spirit can describe have existed long before colonization and have deep roots in each respective culture the term 2 spirit itself was coined by Anishinaabe elder Myra Laramee in 1990 During the Third Annual Intertribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference the term 2 spirit comes from the Anishnaabemowin term niizh manidoowag which literally translates to two-spirits

not all 2 spirit people consider themselves trans or even queer and as these spiritual and cultural beliefs long outdate the modern trans or queer communities its frankly completely understandable as these identities are a natural part of their own culture

the issues 2 spirit indigenous people face and their issues are absolutely issues important to and similar to the struggles of trans people as a whole not only are 2 spirit identities counter to american beliefs about sex and gender and as a result gender expression in 2 spirit indigenous people specifically is often punished but gender expression within indigenous communities even outside of 2 spirit peoples is often punished by american patriarchy as american views around sex and gender are structurally imperialist euro centric and white supremacist and has no allowance for cultural diversity in terms of sex and gender

the laws and policies around sex and gender that disadvantage women at the expense of men that punish diversity in gender expression and identity are antithetical to many indigenous peoples core cultural and spiritual values and decolonizing our views around sex and gender is incredibly important for us to do within our own queer communities

2 spirit as a term also isnt meant to replace other terms from indigenous communities that describe cultural spiritual and historical beliefs around sex gender and gender expectations and there are many terms that are used to describe fluidity in gender and gender roles in their respective cultures such as

agokwe agokwe-nini okitcitakwe and ogokwe in Anishinaabemowin

etuijijaqimijinui'k and l'nuk in Mi'kmaq

nàdleehé in Dine or Navajo

aayahkwew Înahpîkasoht napêhkân iskwewak napêw iskwêwisêhot and iskwêw ka napêwayat in Cree and Plains Cree

winyanktehca winkte winkta and wintike in Dakota

sipiniq arnaasiaq angutaasiaq and choupan in Inuktitut

tuučuk and čakusšƛ in Nuuh-chah-nulth

titqattek in Ktunaxa

aakíí’skassi in Siksikáí’powahsin

miáti in Hidatsa

and many many more

2 spirit people across tribes and cultures and religions you belong in our community

trans people should absolutely be fighting for the rights and issues of indigenous folks but especially for those of our 2 spirit siblings

the trans community could absolutely learn quite a few things from 2 spirit elders about sex and gender and how to deconstruct our views around them

anti colonialism and anti imperialism are trans issues

and a world where first nations and inuit peoples have sovereignty over their own lands is one that benefits us all especially as queer people

omg it’s actually happened !! i hope you don’t mind if i give you a list of favourite words by language :Þ

italian: “cionondimeno” or “eziandio”, two very obsolete words respectively meaning “nevertheless” and “also”

english: i’ll have to go with “relatable”, cuz it’s so goddamn hard to translate without losing the vibe of it, so i end up borrowing it when speaking italian, too

latin: “spondere” because it has the funniest sounding perfect form ever, ie “spopondi”

turkish: probably either “yunus balığı” or “denizanası”. the first one means “dolphin” (literally “Jonah’s fish”) and the latter means “jellyfish” (literally “sea mother”). OH “delikanlı” as well. it means “young man” but literally it’s “crazy-blooded” :>

Smokii Sumac

Gender: Two spirit trans masculine (he/they)

Sexuality: Queer

DOB: N/A

Ethnicity: First Nation (Ktunaxa)

Wikipedia

Omniglot

First Voices

Kootenai Tribe of Idaho

Alphabet Video

PDFs

MEGA folder

Flag of the Ktunaxa Nation, an indigenous people of North America.

Building a massive ski resort on B.C. land considered sacred to a First Nation does not breach religious rights, the Supreme Court of Canada says in a decision released Thursday.

The landmark decision paves the way for development of the Jumbo Glacier resort in the Kootenays region of British Columbia, despite strong objections from the Ktunaxa Nation.

The Ktunaxa believe the project will drive Grizzly Bear Spirit from Qat'muk, the traditional name for the spiritual territory, and permanently impair their religious beliefs and spiritual practices.

Interpreting scope of religious protections

Interpreting the scope of religious protections under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Supreme Court said those protections include freedom to hold such beliefs and manifest those beliefs, but do not extend to the protection of sacred sites.

"We arrive at these conclusions cognizant of the importance of protecting Indigenous religious beliefs and practices, and the place of such protection in achieving reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous communities," reads the judgment written by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and Justice Malcolm Rowe.

The nine justices were unanimous in the decision to reject the Ktunaxa appeal on grounds of public interest, but two  justices, Michael Moldaver and Suzanne Côté, took a broader view of the Charter religious protections.

The decision to approve the project interferes with the Ktunaxa's ability to act according to their religious beliefs and practices in a way that is "more than trivial or insubstantial."

Explaining that dissenting view, the two said religious beliefs in Grizzly Bear Spirit would become "entirely devoid of religious significance, and accordingly, their prayers, ceremonies, and rituals associated with Grizzly Bear Spirit would become nothing more than empty words and hollow gestures."

No veto power

The ruling said the B.C. government had engaged in "deep consultation" throughout the process, and had met its duty to consult and accommodate under Sec. 35 of the Constitution Act. The section does not give Indigenous groups a veto power over development projects; it guarantees a process, but not a particular result, the ruling said.

"Where adequate consultation has occurred, a development may proceed without consent," it reads.

Despite the court ruling, the project still has to clear environmental and other regulatory hurdles in order to proceed.

Tommaso Oberti, vice-president of the Pheidias Group which is managing the project, said there is "absolutely" a plan to move on the project, though it has been on hold pending the legal challenge. Investors and the board of directors must meet to chart a path forward, but said the project is definitely not dead.

'Tremendous value'

"The group obviously has been pretty persistent and the project has tremendous value," he told CBC News.

"They wouldn't have spent all this money on the project. They would have walked away before spending all the money on lawyers. That's not the case."

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde said the decision reflects a need for judges and legislators to more deeply understand traditions of First Nations people, who see ceremonies as inextricably linked to the land and water.

"It's a bit of a lack of awareness and understanding through the Supreme Court about that world view," he said.

Year-round ski resort

The project, which would be a year-round resort by Glacier Resort, has been tied up in legal wrangling since the plan's inception in 1991.

According to its website, the project would be a "unique sightseeing destination" and a big economic generator for construction jobs and resort employment. It would provide lifts to four glaciers at an elevation of up to 3,419 metres.

The three-phase project would include 5,500 bed-units plus 750 beds for staff accommodations, and is expected to draw 2,000 to 3,000 visitors a day in high season.