DoomsdaysCW<p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Minneapolis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Minneapolis</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/powwow" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>powwow</span></a> celebrates belonging for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TwoSpirit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TwoSpirit</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/queer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>queer</span></a> community </p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TwoSpiritPowwow" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TwoSpiritPowwow</span></a> invites natives to dress and dance on their own terms.</p><p>By Auds Jenkins<br>June 23, 2023 </p><p>"Em Matson leaned intently over a long table to arrange the delicate pieces of water lily appliqué.</p><p>"Amid the mechanical whir of sewing machines and the lively chatter during a community regalia making night, Matson zeroed in on the task at hand: finishing their ribbon pants in time for the Two Spirit Powwow.</p><p>"On Saturday, New Native Theater will sponsor Minneapolis' second annual 'Reclaiming Our Identities' Two Spirit Powwow, part of a burgeoning movement of powwows across the country that honor Two Spirit and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/indigiqueer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>indigiqueer</span></a> (Indigenous and queer) people. </p><p>"'I can't wait to see everybody turn out. I know that if you come specifically to this powwow, it means you support our community,' said Wase Mannidu Ikwe, a Two Spirit person of the Rocky Boy Chippewa Cree Tribe. 'It's nice to see our allies. As Two Spirits, we make large impacts in the native community. We are valid.'</p><p>"'Two Spirit' is an umbrella term derived from the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Anishnaabe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Anishnaabe</span></a> '<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NiizhManidoowag" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NiizhManidoowag</span></a>' (literally translated as "two spirits") that describes native people who exist outside the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GenderBinary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GenderBinary</span></a> and hold sacred roles in their communities. </p><p>"Popularized by activists in the 1990s, the term honors multiplicity within native conceptions of gender identity and spirituality. It also reflects a pre-colonial legacy of gender diversity that is being reclaimed today. </p><p>"'Prior to European <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/colonization" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>colonization</span></a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GenderDiversity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GenderDiversity</span></a> was the norm for many tribes. Gender was based on your roles and responsibilities, not what you looked like,' said Matson, a Two Spirit of the Sault Ste. Marie Ojibwe and one of the organizers of Minneapolis' Two Spirit Powwow. </p><p>"In the months leading up to the powwow, organizers have hosted regalia-making nights for local Two Spirit and indigiqueer folks to make ceremonial clothing that authentically represents their identities. </p><p>"'Our goal was for you to come and make whatever makes you feel comfortable,' said organizer Beth Seidl of the White Earth Band of Chippewa. 'We wanted everyone to feel safe, without any chance of someone coming by and saying, 'You're a boy. Why are you making a ribbon skirt?' if that's not how they identify."</p><p><a href="https://www.startribune.com/powwow-two-spirit-native-indigenous-minneapolis-celebrate-queer-pride-lgbt-new-native-theater/600284778" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">startribune.com/powwow-two-spi</span><span class="invisible">rit-native-indigenous-minneapolis-celebrate-queer-pride-lgbt-new-native-theater/600284778</span></a></p><p><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Minnesota" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Minnesota</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Decolonize" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Decolonize</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NonBinary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NonBinary</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GBLTQI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>GBLTQI</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Activism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Activism</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Reclamation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Reclamation</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Indigiqueer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Indigiqueer</span></a></p>