The 20th Anniversary International Two Spirit Gathering
Summer 2008 -
Our cultures and communities celebrate two decades of international Indigenous organizing, and look ahead to the coming two decades of cultural regeneration.
Minnesota welcomes Native community members, their partners and families, to the place where The Basket and the Bow was hosted in 1988, and which gave rise to the annual GLBT Native Gathering.
Beginning the third circle
In 1988 Native people hosted a historic two day event in Minneapolis. The consensus of the 100+ participants was that an annual gathering of LGBT Native people needed to take place. The following year, the international community asked Minnesota to host the event again. In the years that followed - Winnipeg, Oregon, Vancouver, Arizona, Kansas, New Brunswick, Toronto , etc - this spiritual gathering of cultural regeneration began to travel in a great circle around North America year by year. We have seen two great circles of this event completed during the past two decades, touching the lives of about 2,400 Native people, our partners and families. We are preparing for the third turning of this medicine wheel.
The planning council of the 20th Anniversary International Two Spirit Gathering is pleased to share an invitation with the Two Spirit communities to attend this event that marks an important milestone in our cultural histories and our social, health, artistic and spiritual revitalization.
Please mark your calendars for Aug 28-Sept 1 2008 in Minnesota
above image: 1992 British Columbia Gathering - below: 1992 New York City Pride parade, Native contingent. Photo credits, R. LaFortune
