About Winnipeg

C2C: Two Spirit & Queer People of Colour Call to Conversation with LGBT & Allies

---

Winnipeg is situated on Treaty One territory and in the homeland of the Métis nation, and is home to Canada's largest urban Indigenous population and has been an important site in national and international 2S activism.  In 1990, the term two-spirit was adopted at the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference held in Winnipeg thanks, in part, to 2S Elder Myra Laramee. In 2015, Maclean’s magazine published an article naming Winnipeg as the most racist city in Canada (Macdonald, 2015a, 2015b), then one year later another article detailing the dedicated progress the city is making in combating racism (Hutchins, 2016). Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman declared 2016 as the year of reconciliation, and began implementing mandatory Indigenous awareness training for all city workers, personally visiting all Winnipeg high schools to discuss reconciliation, and expanding the city’s refugee assurance program (City of Winnipeg, 2016). In addition, UW has a thirty-year history of queer scholars who have been laying the foundation for LGBT inclusion with their ongoing efforts, and part of UW’s 50th year anniversary in 2017 involves furthering its commitment to both LGBT inclusion and to indigenization. Métis President Annette Trimbee marched in UW’s first Pride presence in 2015 and has encouraged the 2S/QPOC think-tank. In 2016, UW began implementing the Indigenous Course Requirement.