All across Turtle Island during the month of June, individuals will gather to celebrate inclusiveness, diversity, and love as part of Pride month celebrations. 2019 marks the 5th year since the Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation became the first First Nation in North America to host a Pride parade. Every year since then, our celebration has become bigger and better than ever, and this year is no different.
For 2019, we’ve partnered with our friends at OUTSaskatoon and in addition to our Two Spirit Pride Parade, we’ll also be hosting the first-ever Two Spirit Powwow on a First Nation in Canada!
Here’s the agenda for the day, Saturday, June 15th:
Flag Raising Ceremony – Band Office, 10:00am
Parade Departure – Band Office, 10:30am
Lunch – Veterans Hall, 11:00am
Grand Entry – Powwow Arbour, 1pm
School groups, community organizations, businesses – everyone is welcome to join us to celebrate Two Spirit Pride!
COUNCILLOR STATEMENT: INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA, BIPHOBIA, #NOH8!
Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation, Treaty 6 – The following statement was released today by Councillor Kevin Seesequasis on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia:
“Today as we observe International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, I am proud to announce that the 3rd Annual Two-Spirit Pride Festival and Parade will occur on June 15th at the Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation.
Three years ago, our community took a giant leap forward and proclaimed that at the Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation, it’s ok to be who you are – we accept you, and we love you. Three years ago, we became the 1st First Nation in Saskatchewan to host a Two-Spirit Pride Parade and became an example to First Nations everywhere of what acceptance, and love for one another truly looks like.
This year for the third time, we have once again proclaimed our Pride!
But there are those who still don’t understand that the values of kinship and respect in our community run deeper than those of intolerance.
On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, I encourage all band members to look beyond preconceived notions of who Two-Spirits (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer individuals) are, and instead recognize kahkiyaw niwakomakanak – see the son, the daughter, the nephew, the niece; see the cousin, the aunt, the uncle, the kohkum, and the moshum; recognize all our relations. See that in spite of what you may have heard or what you may believe, what we know is that we are all related. And those bonds can never be broken.
At the Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation – despite the many differences that make each of us unique – there is #NoH8!”
