Visit the website at sqpa.org/1st-annual-pow-wow-at-baisley-pond-park.html

Two Spirit Then and Now: Reclaiming Our Place of Honor Training based on the publication: Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals. 

October 4 & 5, 2011 in Rapid City, South Dakota at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center from 8:30-5:00pm

This training provides both practitioners and administrators familiarity and knowledge about the interaction between LGBT issues and substance use  disorders with a focus on two-spirit people and issues.

The curriculum enhances the knowledge of participants and builds skills so that sensitive, affirmative, culturally relevant, and effective treatment is offered to LGBT/two-spirit individuals in substance use disorders treatment.

For more info and to register, click on the below link.

lgbtevents2011-rapid-city.pdf

Angela McKenzie met up with Harlan Pruden, the co-founder of the Northeast 2 Sprit Society to talk about the historical importance of Native American Indian gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders to their indigenous culture. In 1990 after the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American/First Nations Gay/Lesbian American Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the American Indian LGBT community abandoned European gender and sexual orientation labels to self-identify as Two-Spirit people. Two-Spirit describes Indigenous North Americans who fulfill one of many mixed gender roles found traditionally among many Native Americans and Canadian First Nations indigenous groups.

Harlan is a member of the Cree nation from the Saddle Lake Indian Reservation in Northeasten Alberta, Canada, where he did not receive the necessary support systems to help him come to terms with his Two-Spirit identity. He now resides in New York City and is a dedicated advocate for First Nations, community organizing and progressive causes.

In this edition of Initiative Radio you will also hear a great selection of traditional Cree music and a couple of songs written by the Cree Nation’s most famous recording artist Buffy Saint-Marie.

Angela McKenzie is the Producer & Presenter of Initiative Radio