Welcome to our October newsletter! We are thrilled to share with you the newest developments in our mission to make a positive impact in 2SLGBTQ spaces, as well as indigenous and accomplice communities.
In terms of recent activities, in mid-September our Program Manager, Mayra Mendoza, officially transitioned out of their professional capacity with us but still remains a vibrant star in the BAAITS constellation.
In case you missed it, on September 26, 2024, we released “Living in Abundance: Report on the Needs and Strengths of the Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities in the Greater Bay Area." You can read the full report here.
And on September 28th, intergenerational participants joined Polaris Castro for a vibrant watercolor workshop (pictured above) that combined creative expression with community building. Polaris guided attendees through various watercolor techniques and as participants painted, they shared stories and insights, fostering a sense of kinship and mutual support. A heartfelt thank you to Polaris Castro for their guidance and to all who participated in this enriching experience.
We hope you'll join us for some of our exciting October workshops and events!
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Two-Spirit Talking Circle with
Dr. Roger Kuhn
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Wednesday, October 16, 2024
6:00 PM, PST
Join our IndigeQueer and Two-Spirit community for an online talking circle created by and for Two-Spirit, IndigeQueer, and Indigenous TG/GNC LGBQIA+ individuals. We ask all attendees to respect this focus.
Details:
Online Participation Tips:
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Quiet Space: Find a comfortable, quiet location to participate.
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Sacred Space: Prepare your space with grounding practices, such as lighting a candle.
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Self-Care: Have water or tea on hand, and tissues for any emotions that may arise.
Dr. Roger Kuhn is a Poarch Creek Two-Spirit Indigequeer soma-cultural sex therapist and sexuality educator. His work delves into decolonizing and unsettling sexuality, emphasizing how culture shapes our bodily experiences.
As a licensed psychotherapist and AASECT-certified sex therapist, Roger also contributes to the community as a musician and artist. He serves as a faculty lecturer in American Indian Studies at San Francisco State University. Additionally, he is actively involved in several organizations, including the American Indian Cultural Center of San Francisco, Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits, and the Two-Spirit & Native LGBTQ+ Center for Equity.
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Weaving Spirits Festival of Two-Spirit Performance :
Seeding Native Fires
Co-presented with Queer Cultural Center’s
National Queer Arts Festival
Location: Brava Theater (Main Stage), Yelamu, San Francisco.
Dates & Time: October 25 and 26 at 7:00 PM, PST; In-person event.
Accessibility Options:
October 25 is marked as Family Friendly + ASL Night
October 26 includes Translation into Spanish (con Traducción a Español)
There are also pre-festival events from September 8 to October 5.
Weaving Spirits’s fourth year is co-presented by QCC as part of the Fall NQAF Festival. This year’s festival responds to ecological and societal wildfires. Fire allows us to imagine what needs to be ignited, cleansed and turned into ashes.
We celebrate the many sparks of two-spirit creativity and anti-colonial resistance popping off throughout the Bay. The Mission’s iconic Brava theater hosts this year’s festival within San Francisco's first American Indian Cultural District. Broadening our perspective on fire beyond California’s landscape, we connect across Turtle Island all the way to Brazil and Gaza. ALL are welcome.
We are...
Weaving the ways of the past into the loom of the present...
Embracing sexuality and our full selves in performance…
creating our own visibility!
#WeavingSpirits
#TwoSpiritFest
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Xochicalli: House of Flowers
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Xochicalli- House of Flowers: IndigeQueer Medicine & Healing Platica with Berenice Dimas
Friday, October 25, 2024 | Location TBA
6:00 PM Pacific: In-Person Reception |
6:30 PM Pacific: Program Begins/Zoom Start Time
Please Register for Zoom Link and Location Details
Casa Tia Luna proudly presents this platica session with Maestrx Berenice Dimas. Join us as we circle up for discussion on the theme of our Xochicalli programming series. What does it mean to seek traditional medicine in our IndigeQueer communities? How does the passing on of ancestral knowledge change and transmute with the medicine carrier, while still remaining fundamentally grounded in tradition? When our teachers/elders, maestros/maestras/maestrxs are IndigeQueer peoples, is our learning/ hearing/ receiving from our culture bearers different for generations of IndigeQueer, Two-Spirit and Native TG/GNC LGBQIA+ genderQueer peoples who have held traditions in translation (!) for so long because of the limits of patriarchy, colonization, language, and expression? (This event will not be recorded.)
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Pacific Lisjan Ohlone History & Territory
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Lisjan Ohlone History & Territory, with Corrina Gould
Tuesday, October 29 | 6:00 PM, PST
In Person Reception | 6:30-7:30 PM, PST
Presentation (Online Session Begins) | 7:30-8:00 PM, PST Q&A
HYBRID EVENT: In-person at Graduate School of Business 101;
Online via Zoom
Northeastern University welcomes Corrina Gould (Lisjan Ohlone), chair and spokesperson for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, who will present an historical overview of Ohlone history in the San Francisco East Bay. Our talk will review the continuing impact of settler colonialism, and ways in which Bay Area coalitions can support the preservation of Ohlone sacred spaces and autonomy for Indigenous peoples. Professor Natalee Kehaulani Bauer, Assistant Teaching Professor at Mills College, will facilitate the Q & A. For questions please email: m.zamora@northeastern.edu. (This event will not be recorded.)
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Earth Dying Workshop with Silky
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Join BAAITS for a hands-on Earth Dying Workshop
Location: 415 Valencia St. - Yelamu/San Francisco
Date & Time: November 2, 2024; 12:00-4:00 PM, PST.
Registration: Coming Soon!
In collaboration with Silky (they/them), this gathering will guide participants through the process of creating altar cloths.
Through the art of earth-dying, you'll learn traditional techniques that honor the land while connecting with the elements and ancestors. All materials provided, and no previous experience necessary. Come with an open heart and leave with a piece to enhance your practice.
This workshop is open to all levels, and space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot early!
Silky is a Black, detribalized, 3rd generation death worker, archivist, griot, channel, disabled, autistic, trans, trans-spirit and trans-disciplinary artist who uses a synesthetic approach to engage with the world and their art. A weaver of poems, paint, prophecy, textiles, and worlds with 10+ years of community engagement as a passionate advocate with a commitment to social justice and anti-oppression work, they bring principles of disability justice into their art and world, with over a decade of professional work as an artist and creator. May their work be an offering to the liberation of all life, their ancestors, the earth, and to Spirit.
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Hello Community!
We’re excited to share the latest updates for the upcoming 2025 Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit Pow Wow! This event promises to be a vibrant celebration of culture, community, and resilience.
Date & Location: Saturday February 1st 2025; Fort Mason Pavilion, San Francisco
Activities: Enjoy traditional dancing, drumming, food, reunions or first meetings, and art displays. There will be something for everyone!
Vendors: Support local artisans and find unique crafts and foods.
Events: Participate in engaging events focused on cultural education and healing.
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Upcoming Community Events
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Click each image to learn more
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Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) is an all-volunteer organization that exists to restore and recover the role of Two-Spirit people within the American Indian/First Nations community by creating a forum for the spiritual, cultural and artistic expression of Two-Spirit people. To that end, BAAITS is committed to offering culturally relevant activities for LGBTQ+ individuals of Native American ancestry and their families and friends.
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