Eskasoni school welcomes 100 students to its first two-spirited conference

Sherise Gould says Aboriginal culture is rooted in diversity.

“Our ancestors believed in two-spirits and they believed in two-spirits as being powerful beings,” said the Gould, a teacher at Allison Bernard Memorial High School.

“They were considered so powerful that they were able to go into each gender.”

Gould said, through time, newly adopted beliefs saw being two-spirited as bringing about dishonour.

“We’re trying to bring that (acceptance) back because why be ashamed? It’s just who you are.”

Indigenous youth recently at- tended a two-spirited conference in Eskasoni First Nation that is considered to be the first of its kind in the province.

Two-spirited is a term that can describe same-sex attraction and a wide variety of gender variance. Although there are similar conferences held each year, such events fail to meet the wider needs of the First Nation community.

“It’s hard when you’re in an allMi’kmaw school and you’re going to meetings with all Mi’kmaw students,” Gould said.

“Not only do you have to worry about your insecurities with identifying as two-spirited then you’re going to experience cultural shock on top of all that.”

About 100 Aboriginal students attending the two-day conference in Eskasoni came from communities as far away as Why- cocomagh, Millbrook and Shubenacadie.

Eskasoni high school’s gaystraight alliance started six years ago with less than 10 students. Since that time, it has more than tripled in size and often includes participants from the nearby elementary and junior high school.

Alyssia Christmas, 16, said she started questioning her sexuality at age 10.

After coming out publicly three years ago, Christmas now identifies as being pansexual.

“Pansexual is basically gender blind,” she said. “You don’t find love by gender. It’s by the soul is how I explain it.

“I feel like everybody should be educated on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people because we’re here and we’re not going anywhere anytime soon.”

Haylen Cremo, 13, said she remembers hiding her true identity as early as age four. She said the conference offered a sense of inclusion.

“It’s very precious to me because not everyone goes through this,” said the two-spirited, transgender teen.

“I mean, there’s not a lot of people out there like me.”

The two-spirited conference was organized by the Eskasoni GSA along with their allies. It included the lighting of a sacred fire, a smudging ceremony, along with student sessions on healthy relationships, gender talk, coming out stories and living with HIV and fighting stigma.

Separate sessions were offered to teachers to strengthen their understanding of student diversity.