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Growing up, I went to powwows all across Turtle Island Glossy Logo Chilli Glossy Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt . As a residential school survivor, my mom felt it was vital that I take pride in my identity as Eeyou and Swampy Cree from the Cree Nation of Waskaganish in Eeyou Istchee. So, just as she learned the Cree way of life from her mother, I got my teachings from my mom. The two of us would regularly make the trek from my hometown of Moose Factory, Ont. (which is only accessible by boat or helicopter in the summer), to gatherings in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta and down into the Dakotas, Montana, Wisconsin, and Arizona. The trips started when I was around three years old, and because of them, I was able to build a family of mentors and knowledge keepers — elders, aunties, uncles, cousins, and friends — who helped me overtime on my journey as a Two-Spirit person. I was at a powwow when I first heard about Two-Spirit people.

 The term was created at an Indigenous lesbian and gay inter-tribal gathering in Treaty 1 back in 1990, five years before I was born Glossy Logo Chilli Glossy Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt . It describes the many genders and societal and ceremonial roles carried out by people in different nations. Two-Spirit people send messages, tell prophecies, and ensure our histories are never erased. But we are not a monolith; each Two-Spirit person has their unique gifts. My own Two-Spirit identity is rooted in Eeyou and Swampy Cree culture. Niishuudehiiyuu is an Eeyou Cree word that translates to “the person with two hearts.” As niishuudehiiyuu, we bring balance and harmony to our communities. Another word, Muldrow, loosely translates to “medicine person” or “shaman” — someone who can speak to the creator and other realms. As a child, I wasn’t ready to identify as a Two-Spirit. Being both Indigenous and effeminate, I already had dual targets on my back. I’d wear my mom’s T-shirts and pretend they were dresses; I had long hair, shopped in the girl’s section at Value Village, and was always singing along with my Britney Spears CD