Gitanmaax held its own pride parade over the long weekend making it the first Indigenous community in northwest BC to do so, showcasing Indigenous and two spirit representation in the LGBTQ community.
Participants marched from the Gitanmaax Health and Wellness Centre down to the Ksan Campground where they were met with refreshments and a cooling centre to beat the heat.
Julia Sundell, health director at the Gitanmaax Health and Wellness Centre, took on the task of organizing the parade after chief and council had asked about putting on an event to recognize pride month in June.
Some unexpected community events caused the parade to be delayed until July but did not curb their drive to make this happen. Sundell talked about holding the parade as way to show those in Gitanmaax and surrounding villages that they have a safe space to express themselves how they wish to; collective support is crucial to Indigenous communities.
Gitanmaax shows plenty of support for the LGBTQ2S+ community. Photo by Morgyn Budden.
Jordan Wilson, a two spirit person who spoke at the opening of the event, talked about their experiences and why this event meant so much to them.
Wilson explained that when they had started de-colonizing and reading about their history, they had recognized themselves as two spirit, something that has long been left out of conversations surrounding gender identity.
Being able to talk about their identity, Wilson felt validated by their community, and they hope that this event makes way for more LGBTQ2S+ youth to embrace themselves.
“I feel like, to know that there’s even more support behind that, is going to allow the youth to blossom in their own way that they deserve to,” Wilson said of seeing so many residents participating.
But support didn’t end with the participants: on the walk to the campground, many passersby in vehicles honked and waved, and people in their homes stood outside to capture the moment.
Gitanmaax hopes to make the pride parade an annual occurrence and encourage people from other surrounding communities to get involved.
Listen to the full radio story below: