Youth Mental Health CanadaTwo-Spirits are cherished. Two-Spirits are valued. Two-Spirits are treasured.
By Neebinnaukzhik Southall
#indigenous #indigenousyouth #indigenouswellbeing #firstnations #metis #inuit #intersectional #equity #mentalhealth #ymhc
CBC Thunder BayHigh school students cast a line and get hooked on learning
Students from the Kendomang Zhagodenamnon (KZ) Lodge program in Thunder Bay, Ont., spent a day out on the ice learning how to fish. The program, run through the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre and Lakehead District School Board, focuses on land-based learning and life skills for Indigenous youth. It's supported by Roots Community Food Centre and its “Mind Your Food” initiati...
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/9.7125637?cmp=rss
Students from the Kendomang Zhagodenamnon (KZ) Lodge program in Thunder Bay, Ont., spent a day out on the ice learning how to fish. The program, run through the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre and Lakehead District School Board, focuses on land-based learning and life skills for Indigenous youth. It's supported by Roots Community Food Centre and its “Mind Your Food” initiati...
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/9.7125637?cmp=rss
DoomsdaysCW#SouthAustralia - #PointPearce #FirstNations #CultureGarden
"#LandcareAustralia is proud to partner with #PointPearceAboriginalCorporation in establishing a First Nations community-led conservation and education project. Located in South #Australia’s Point Pearce in the #WardangIsland #IndigenousProtectedArea (IPA), the project is led by the #TraditionalOwners, the #Narungga people, and aims to support #Indigenous youth to learn about their Cultural heritage and knowledge that will lead to career and leadership pathways in #EnvironmentalConservation.
At the heart of this initiative is the Point Pearce First Nations Culture Garden, a space where #Elders, #FirstNationsRangers, and #IndigenousYouth come together to bridge and transfer #CulturalKnowledge. Designed as a hands-on learning environment, it will inspire young people to explore environmental conservation, deepen their appreciation for the natural world and discover career pathways that utilise Cultural knowledge.
The Culture Garden will feature a #medicinal and #ceremonial plant area, #NativeBushFoods, water features to attract #wildlife, #SensoryGarden, and dedicated spaces for learning and Cultural practice. With a #seedling #propagation zone, a #NativeSeed cleaning station, a fruit and nut #orchard, and interpretive walking trail. More than just a garden, it serves as a ‘cultural learning hub’—fostering pride and offering a comprehensive setting for community events, educational programs, and vocational training opportunities. With funding from #OneTreePlanted, the tree planting will also help #restore #NativeVegetation and improve habitat for threatened species including the Southern Hairy-nosed #Wombat.
Aligned with the South Australian Department for Education’s Aboriginal Education Strategy, the project aims to inspire engagement, Cultural pride, and environmental responsibility among First Nations students. It focuses on educational outcomes and how Cultural activities can play in enhancing social and academic competence among First Nations students."
https://landcareaustralia.org.au/project/point-pearce-aboriginal-corporation-culture-garden/
#SolarPunkSunday #Rewilding #PreservingNature #CulturalPreservation #NativeAustralians #Australia #NatureEducation #NativePlants #BushTucker
To fix the climate, simply empower #Indigenous people
by Kiki Taufik, 10 Nov 2025
"Climate change is the defining issue of our age. While nations search for complex technological solutions at this year’s high-stakes climate meeting in the Amazon city of #Belém, a simpler yet powerful answer has been waiting in the wings. I saw it firsthand in the forests of #WestPapua’s Bird’s Head Peninsula in the company of #IndigenousYouth from the Amazon, the #CongoBasin, and #Borneo.
"They showed me a truth that the world has been overlooking: one of the most effective climate solutions lies in empowering Indigenous people.
"In this way, we can prevent an immense amount of carbon emissions from #deforestation and preserve priceless #biodiversity and all the benefits we reap from it. It’s a strategy that more than pays for itself."
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/to-fix-the-climate-simply-empower-indigenous-people-commentary/
#SolarPunkSunday #MongaBay #SiraDeclaration #ClimateChange #UNDRIP #FPIC #AmazonRiverBasin #IndigenousPeople #IndigenousSolutions #TraditionalIndigenousKnowledge
To fix the climate, simply empower Indigenous people (commentary)
Climate change is the defining issue of our age. While nations search for complex technological solutions at this year’s high-stakes climate meeting in the Amazon city of Belém, a simpler yet powerful answer has been waiting in the wings. I saw it firsthand in the forests of West Papua’s Bird’s Head Peninsula in the company […]
Ms. Que BanhTold entirely from a #ChildsPerspective, Ninan Auassat: We, the Children is a powerful and immersive #documentary that reveals the dreams of a new generation ready to take flight. Renowned for her intimate and compelling films, director Kim O’Bomsawin takes us deep into the world of #IndigenousYouth , capturing the stories of #children from the #Atikamekw , #EeyouCree and #Innu Nations over a period of more than six years. Without adult narration or expert commentary, the film offers an unfiltered look at #childhood as it unfolds, from everyday life to defining moments on the path to #adulthood. It’s a bold cinematic statement—one that gives space to a generation eager to be heard. Their voices ring out, not just as personal stories, but as a call to action, demanding recognition and the chance to thrive on their own terms.
https://www.nfb.ca/film/ninan-auassat-nous-les-enfants-english-version/
#NativeYouths #Indigenous #NativeKidsVoices #NextGeneration #Canada #CanadianFilm #NFB #FilmDocs #ChildrensRights
Ninan Auassat: We, the Children
I've done this. And yeah, it's not for the faint of heart!
via @thenarwhal
Finding myself in blood, flesh, veins and bug bites — life at a hide camp for #TwoSpirit #IndigenousYouth
By Kierstin Williams
Kierstin reported and photographed this story at Niizh Manidook Hide Camp over six days in May 2024
June 27, 2025
"It’s my first time tanning my own deer hide. At #NiizhManidook Hide Camp, I’ve learned to slow down, listen and be in relation while immersed in brains and skin..."
https://thenarwhal.ca/two-spirit-indigenous-hide-camp/
#TwoSpirits #BrainTanning #IndigenousTraditions #TEK #BeingInNature #NatureImmersion #Nature #GBLTQ #IndigenousPeoplesDay #AnimalProducts
The Bright SideThis platform is already transforming lives. One notable success- a former notorious car thief now aspires to be a Land and Sea Ranger. #IndigenousYouth #successstory
Beyond economic turnover, restoring the wetlands also aims to help Indigenous youth develop life skills. This investment in Indigenous training can benefit their local communities. #IndigenousYouth #communityimpact
'We are medicine': Saturday's #TwoSpiritPowwow celebrates #LGBTQ+ community amid adversity
by Madeline Nguyen
Arizona Republic
Feburary 16, 2024
"The fourth annual #Arizona #TwoSpirit #Powwow will celebrate the state’s two-spirit and LGBTQ+ communities on Saturday at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.
[...]
"Historically, two-spirit individuals were esteemed as talented and respected members of their communities, often assuming roles as healers and visionaries. However, with the spread of colonization and conservative Christian values, they began to face discrimination.
"'Powwows were meant for a social gathering of different tribal communities, and they came together, danced, sang, had fun, and it was a way for each of us to socialize with each other,' said Navi Ho, a cochair of the powwow who identifies as two spirit. 'So in that sense, being part of the two-spirit, LGBT community, we never felt welcome at a powwow because of the colonial thought that gay people are not welcome or queer people are not welcome.'
"Saturday’s powwow seeks to assist two-spirit individuals within the local community in reclaiming their identities. This will be achieved by removing the binary gender divisions typically found at standard contest powwows and instead focusing on nonbinary categories, Ho explained.
"The event will showcase drum groups and dancing contests catering to attendees of all ages, from 'tiny tots' to adults. Additionally, there will be a market featuring local LGBTQ+ or allied businesses selling art and other goods, along with various food trucks offering frybread, kettle corn, and shaved ice. Moreover, booths representing local organizations and providing free testing for sexually transmitted infections will be available to connect attendees with community resources, Long explained.
"The event aims to not only give two-spirit and LGBTQ+ people an opportunity to celebrate their identities but to also educate people of all ages within the local community about what it means to be two-spirit, according to Ho.
"'We are medicine within our community,' they said. 'We are that sacred piece that once we come back into the circle, the sacred circle, we will complete it. So that’s all there — there’s unity; there’s love; there’s connection. And so this is very important for our community.'"
#Decolonize #NonBinary
#GBLTQI #Activism
#Reclamation #Indigiqueer
#IndigenousYouth
From February 2024:
#TwoSpirit and #Indigiqueer communities mourn #nonbinary teen's death in Oklahoma
'Something that affects one of us affects all of us,' says Jade Lacosse
Edzi'u Loverin · CBC News ·
"Members of the two-spirit, Indigiqueer, and Indigenous #transgender communities are mourning the death of a non-binary 16-year-old teen in Oklahoma earlier this month.
"#NexBenedict died the day after a violent confrontation in a high school bathroom in Owasso, Okla., near Tulsa. Owasso police said in a statement preliminary autopsy results indicate the teen did not die as a result of injuries sustained in the fight.
"Benedict's mother is enrolled with the #ChoctawNation of Oklahoma and the school where the incident took place is located within the #CherokeeNation reservation. Benedict's family said Benedict experienced #bullying from their classmates due to their gender identity.
"The story has sparked cross-border reaction from #2SLGBTQ+ community members, reflecting on their own experiences as well as the current climate for #IndigenousYouth.
"'Many of us are in mourning,' said Jade Lacosse, an Anishinaabe and adopted Tlingit two-spirit trans woman in Whitehorse.
"'This was a young child that very few of us were directly connected to but they're still a relative, they are still a two-spirit relative in the way that our community sees things. Something that affects one of us affects all of us.'
"Lacosse said the statement from police appears to be about placing blame rather than taking responsibility for discrimination.
"'A young two-spirit child, one of our relations, died … and it's a direct result of #transphobia," Lacosse said.
"'The way that they died doesn't change that.'"
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/2-spirit-indigiqueer-mourn-oklahoma-teen-1.7124184
#TransPhobia
#GBLTQRights #TransRightsAreHumanRights #IndigenousYouth #TransDayOfRemembrance
