County, cities recognize 2-spirit day

In a first for the country, Humboldt County has recognized March 19 as a Two-Spirit day of Celebration and Awareness.

Held on the spring equinox, the holiday highlights the Two-Spirit identity, described as an umbrella term as an intersection of Indigenous and LGBTQ+ identities representing a range of sexual and gender expression.

Activists in Canada have worked to press municipalities to recognize the holiday up north for the past couple of years. Fourth District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo said at the March 12 meeting that she believed the proclamation was the first of its kind in the United States — and was shortly followed by proclamations in Eureka and Arcata last week. These proclamations set the holiday and encourage people to learn about Two-Spirit traditions and stand up to racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia.

At a Eureka City Council meeting last week, Wiyot Tribal administrator Michelle Vassel said that European colonizers demonized same-sex relationships or gender variant people. She noted a term used in the Wiyot language, Soulatluk, to describe the community is “gou'mel,” which means “both together,” with the language being inherently gender neutral — and said the destruction of local language targeted this worldview.

C.J. Lewis, a Queer Humboldt intern from Hoopa Valley High School, spoke in support of the resolution at a March 12 Board of Supervisors meeting.

“I myself identify as TwoSpirit which is a significant and powerful part of me as a person. It's my truth in its whole identity. This decision means so much to me and I know it means a lot