Members of our Seventh Generation Fund team recently visited our long time community partner and SGF affiliate, Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits (BAAITS) during their 13th annual Two Spirit Powwow.

The week was filled with meaningful and intentional conversations amongst Two Spirit organizers who traveled from various parts of the so-called United States. The State of the Two Spirit Movement panel was especially powerful, featuring panelists Auntie Steven Barrios with the Montana Two Spirit Society, Muffie Mousseaux and Felipa De Leon with Uniting Resilience, Alma Rosa with the Southwest Two Spirit Society, Trudie Jackson with the Southwest Two Spirit Society, Paulette Poitras with Two Spirits In Motion, John R. Syllyboy with Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance and Angel/Tlahuizpapalotl Fabian with BAAITS as facilitator. You can listen to the panel here:

While attending a week’s worth of side events and panel discussions, our team was also able to  strengthen community ties with Thriving Women grantee, Uniting Resilience, who focus on advocacy work for anti-discriminatory laws that protect Native Two Spirit & LGBTQ relatives within the state of South Dakota. Through their advocacy, founders Monique “Muffie” Mousseau and Felipa De Leon were able to pass hate crime protection laws and marriage equality laws within their own Tribe, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

We are pleased and honored to support our long term partner BAAITS, and even more excited to have been able to participate in celebrating the beauty and vibrancy of the Two Spirit community at the 13^th annual powwow.