People across the greater-Edmonton region are invited to Bissell Child Care (9331 105 Ave. Edmonton) on March 28, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for its spring open house. Bissell Centre’s child care program is catered to children newborn to six-years-old, with spaces reserved for families needing full time care or respite care.
“This is an excellent opportunity for parents to see first-hand what makes Bissell Child Care so unique,” says Jaye Brown, Manager of the Early Childhood Development Program with Bissell Centre. “This is a space where programming has benefited countless children and continues to give them an incredible start to life before they enter kindergarten.”
A History of Quality Child Care in Edmonton
Bissell Centre has been running a respite child care program since the 1970s, expanding to offering full-time child care services when its new child care space opened in 2020. Children attending Bissell Child Care receive one meal and two snacks every day (provided by Bissell Harvest Catering), can attend field trips all summer long, and have access to specialized supports — all at no additional cost to parents.
“Bissell Child Care is not only for families living in the downtown core and experiencing instability,” says Brown. “We are an inclusive environment that recognizes how everyone can be a part of this community and we welcome all children and their family.”
Crucial to Bissell Centre’s Mission in the Community
Guests can treat themselves to light snacks and refreshments as they explore the nature-inspired space where children play, learn, and thrive. Educators and leaders will be on-site during the event to answer questions and provide guided tours with more information on what parents can expect when sending their children to Bissell Child Care.
Bissell Child Care is just one of Bissell Centre’s social enterprises that seeks to help fund Bissell’s crucial programs: also including Bissell Thrift Shop and Bissell Harvest Catering. All funds raised are directly invested back into programs helping people uncover their unique paths out of poverty and homelessness — increasing Bissell Centre’s capacity to meet people where they are at and help strengthen the community.
Close to 400 walkers on more than 60 teams walked through downtown Edmonton on February 28, 2026, for Bissell Centre’s ninth annual Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser. More than $161,000 was raised to go towards Bissell Centre’s programs in housing, financial empowerment, eviction prevention, family supports, and Indigenous cultural supports.
Temperatures hit as low as –24 degrees that night with wind chill, but it didn’t deter any walkers from showing up and walking alongside people in need to help strengthen the community. The walk kicked off at YMCA Boyle Street Plaza at 4:00 p.m., starting with an opening reception where walkers picked up their matching colourful toques before taking to their routes.
Walkers could choose either a two-kilometre route that took them up to 100 Street, or a five-kilometre route which saw walkers traverse all the way to 109 Street. Once walkers completed their routes, they headed back to Boyle Street Plaza for a complementary pasta buffet from Bissell Harvest Catering.
Money raised at Coldest Night of the Year makes real impacts on people in the community. In 2024, Bissell Centre helped house more than 500 people, prevented more than 600 evictions, returned more than $7.6 million through more than 4,000 personal tax filings, and connected hundreds more people to resources to help them live with a better quality of life.
Next year’s Coldest Night of the Year walk will take place on February 27, 2027.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Capital Power
Boardwalk
Coca-Cola Canada Bottling
Home Depot Canada
BigSteelBox
Alberta Residential Landlord Association
Recruitment Partners Inc.
Associated Engineering
JACEK Chocolate Couture
BioWare
Fairmont Hotel McDonald
GSJJ
Tim Hortons
North Country Fair
And thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this incredible event a success!
Bissell Centre is expanding its crucial Financial Empowerment program to better serve diverse communities facing poverty and housing instability.
With funding from Prosper Canada’s Resilient Futures program, Bissell Centre is partnering with Métis Money Moves and the Canada FASD Research Network (CanFASD) to make its Financial Empowerment programming more accessible and relevant to people rooted in Indigenous Nations and people with FASD — two demographics disproportionately experiencing poverty and homelessness.
This collaboration begins in March with Bissell Centre team members presenting Métis Money Moves’ culturally informed financial education program at the Stanley Milner Edmonton Public Library.
Finance from an Indigenous Perspective
“Indigenous teachings about things that relate to money go deeper into why a person wants to be better with finances,” says Sophia Mejia, Manager of Specialized Services with Bissell Centre. “It helps provide more personal autonomy and asks reflective questions prompting people to provide personal motivations to help them gain a better understanding around finances.”
While the Bissell Centre team leads these sessions, Métis Money Moves and CanFASD are reviewing Bissell Centre’s existing Financial Empowerment program and to create workbooks tailored to the needs of Indigenous people and people with FASD. This is expected to continue until 2027, with the new Financial Empowerment program rolling out in 2028.
“Métis Money Moves is making change for the next seven generations, empowering individuals and families to gain a deeper understanding of their money and reducing recidivism back into houselessness,” says JoLynn Parenteau, Métis Money Moves’ Founder and Facilitator. “In 2026, Métis Money Moves will reach more households than ever before, made possible by the leadership and vision of Bissell Centre’s Financial Empowerment and Prosper Canada’s Resilient Futures programs.”
Funding from Prosper Canada’s Resilient Futures Program
Resilient Futures is a $60 million, multi-year initiative that will support community organizations across Canada to expand free financial empowerment services — such as tax filing help, assistance accessing government benefits, and financial coaching and counselling — for people with low and modest incomes. The initiative aims to reach one million people and connect them with an estimated $2 billion in income benefits and tax credits.
To register for Métis Money Moves’ program, or for more information about this partnership, visit the Edmonton Public Library website.
Bissell Centre is holding its annual Coldest Night of the Year walkathon on Saturday, February 28.
Beginning at YMCA Boyle Street Plaza (9538 103A Ave. Edmonton), the opening reception starts at 4:00 p.m. and walkers will set off at 5:00 p.m.
This event features hundreds of Edmontonians walking through the city’s downtown, in matching colourful toques, to help raise funds for Bissell Centre’s critical programs and services.
Last year’s walk
Last year’s walk saw close to 400 walkers on 79 teams helping to raise $150,000 for programs that help people find sustainable housing, increase their financial knowledge, connect to Indigenous culture, and provide essentials for families.
“There’s something powerful about seeing hundreds of people bundle up and walk together on a cold winter evening,” says Michelle Reid, Manager of Community Engagement. “It’s a visible reminder that our community cares deeply about making sure everyone has access to safe housing and supports.”
What to expect at the event
Teams of walkers have been raising funds since November and will continue until the day of the walk. Kicking off from Boyle Street Plaza, walkers can choose either the two kilometre route through City Centre or five kilometre route up to 109 Street before heading back to Boyle Street Plaza for a reception with warm food and soft drinks.
Reid says seeing people from the larger Edmonton community show up to walk alongside one another reminds her how events like these open doors for people and helps strengthen the community.
About Coldest Night of the Year
Coldest Night of the Year started back in 2011, with three Ontario ministries, to raise awareness around what their communities are experiencing. It wasn’t long before hundreds of organizations across Canada and the United States adopted the event, including Bissell Centre whose own Coldest Night of the Year walkathon remains an essential event to ensure it can continue offering its range of programs including in housing, financial empowerment, family supports, and Indigenous cultural supports.
Edmonton has a variety of free and low-cost services geared towards families. These include clothing, food, shelter, and respite child care. Check out the list below! Not sure where to start? Our Family Supports team can help.
Our Family Supports team works with families to understand their individual needs and helps them navigate services available — even acting as advocates for some families we walk alongside to help strengthen family units and the community.
If you want to meet with our Family Supports team, you can find them at the Bissell Centre Service Hub at 10527, 96 Street. You can contact our Family Supports team directly:
If you’re reaching out to any of the services on this list, please visit their websites for their criteria. For a full list of additional services, call 211.
Free or low-cost clothing
Mill Woods United Church
Saint Vincent de Paul
Building Hope
Amity House
Suit Yourself
Terra Centre
Care Closet
Free Food or Meals
Building Hope
C5 Hub Food Pantry
Candora Society
Hope Mission
Freedom Centre Church
Edmonton Food Bank
Food Not Bombs
Wecan Food Baskets
Native Healing Centre
Native Friendship Centre
Pantry N More’
Bethel Church
Shelters
Hope Mission
The Mustard Seed
Boyle Street Community Services
WIN House
Wings of Providence
Bear Lodge
E4C
Lurana Shelter
A Safe Place
Respite Child Care
Bissell Child Care
Norwood Child and Family Resource Centre
Kids Kottage
Kids Without Limits
A Safe Place
It’s never easy when relationships end. For Claudia, separating from her husband also meant separating from the business they grew together.
“Without that business, I virtually had no income,” Claudia explains. “I was looking for work, but I couldn’t find anything for a long time.”
At the time, she was on income support while caring for two teenagers at home and it wasn’t long before the bills started piling up. But someone suggested that Bissell Centre might be able to help.
Discovering a new way to receive support
“Aside from seeing the name in print, I had never looked too deeply into Bissell Centre before reaching out for help,” says Claudia. “I wouldn’t have thought to reach out to Bissell Centre on my own.”
Shortly after her first meeting with the Community Bridge team, her outstanding bills were paid. The team then explored her financial situation to set up a personalized monthly repayment plan that allowed her to continue living comfortably and supporting her children as they entered adulthood.
Uncovering a streamlined path out of debt
Earlier this year, Claudia proudly paid back her loan from Community Bridge.
“Looking back, it was almost too easy,” she says with a laugh. “The whole process was so easy and respectful. It feels great to have paid it off and to be able to pay if off. The monthly payments were low and realistic to pay off.”
Today, Claudia’s two adult children are in university, and she works a steady job. She keeps up with her monthly expenses and supports her children.
“We’re living comfortably and have a lot of high hopes for the future,” Claudia says.
Thanks to support from ENMAX, the Community Bridge team has been able to connect with folks at risk and prevent them from being evicted and facing homelessness. Last year, Community Bridge helped 678 individuals just like Claudia, with almost 100% of program participants repaying their loans.
The fire crackles in front of 14 Elders and Knowledge Keepers sitting in a circle sharing, reflecting, and trying to imagine a more positive future for their communities. They were all invited to Moonlight Bay Centre for a retreat to commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — a day that can be especially difficult for these Leaders in their communities.
Many of them have either witnessed firsthand the atrocities of residential schools or have close family members who have shared their own stories (if they came home at all). And while the Elders and Knowledge Keepers reflected on the past and the challenges of the present, a new feeling emerged, seemingly from the embers and ashes dancing off the campfire.
They felt hope for the future.
Thoughtful Reflections Sitting by the Water
While this retreat included much of what someone might expect to find at an all-inclusive resort, the true aim for this event was to pay homage to the hard work of Elders and Knowledge Keepers acting as near-constant beacons of hope, helping their communities to safer waters. And while grief and reflection were ever-present, so was friendship, comradery, love, and optimism that they will continue navigating troubled waters.
“Many of the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who attended told me they had no idea we had a property so close to the water like this,” says Janet Paskemin, Manager of Indigenous Cultural Supports. Moonlight Bay Centre sits on Wabamun Lake with wonderful views of the water and surrounding woods.
“Just being by the water can do a lot for Elders and Knowledge Keepers,” says Janet. “It can help them clear their minds, reflect more thoughtfully, and think much clearer. For a lot of this retreat, the Elders and Knowledge Keepers sat by the lake, sometimes talking but more often just in silence with each other.”
Comradery, Friendships, and the Gifts of Food
While some of the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who attended were longtime friends, just as many had never met — despite this, the comradery was more than evident. These bonds formed sitting by the lake, solidified by the fire, but it was in the kitchen where one of the strongest gestures took shape.
Food Sovereignty is an act where visitors to Indigenous Nations would receive food as a token of gratitude and friendship. True to honouring the customs and traditions from Indigenous Nations, one Elder, who was previously a Chef, insisted on making home-made pancakes for everyone at the retreat.
“In truth, he wanted to give something to his friends, the same way we were giving so much to everyone during that retreat,” says Janet. “It’s hard to understate how important gestures of honour, friendship, and love are for the Elders and Knowledge Keepers.”
Hope for the Next Generations
Janet recalls one thing she heard time and time again throughout the retreat: that the Elders and Knowledge Keepers see the work that’s being done for Indigenous Peoples by so many young people. She expressed how the Elders and Knowledge Keepers are so incredibly hopeful for the next generations to continue improving the lives of others.
We were honoured to host the 14 Elders and Knowledge Keepers at Moonlight Bay Centre to acknowledge National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We’re proud knowing that these important leaders in their communities had an opportunity to not only rest and reflect but to connect, share, express, and revitalize.
Too many Edmontonians face a difficult decision every month — pay bills or pay rent.
This was the reality for Katherine (name changed to protect privacy) — and she almost lost her home. As a single mother of two with a part-time job and extra monthly support coming from Alberta Income Support, she was still falling behind and facing an imminent eviction.
After working with her employer to change her job to full-time, she lost her Alberta Income Support benefits and found herself still needing extra help to ensure she and her two sons wouldn’t be evicted from their home. With the eviction notice in-hand, she connected with our Community Bridge program for help.
The main goal of Community Bridge is to prevent evictions and ensure people at risk don’t experience homelessness. Through financial education, benefits navigation, and direct financial assistance, this program seeks to not only prevent immediate evictions, but also help ensure individuals don’t have to face these challenges again.
“Katherine came to us already taking the initiative to change her part-time work to a full-time job,” says Katrina John-West, Manager of Homelessness Prevention and Housing Support with Bissell Centre, where she oversees the Community Bridge program. “Her Alberta Income Support had ended and having a full-time job still wasn’t enough to help her catch up.”
How Community Bridge Helped Katherine
To ensure Katherine could break from this cycle, the Community Bridge team helped her in three areas to pay off her remaining debt and guarantee her housing stability. The first step was making sure Katherine could receive emergency income benefits from Alberta Income Support.
“What some folks don’t know about Community Bridge is we can act as advocates for people,” explains Katrina. “We can also make references to other sources of financial assistance that folks might not know exist.” In addition to advocating for Katherine’s Alberta Income Support emergency benefits, the Community Bridge team connected her with benefits from the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Financial benefits helped, but didn’t cover all her debts — which were collecting interest.
The second approach to helping Katherine came in a one-time, interest-free loan from the Community Bridge program. This lump sum assistance is, on average, paid back within one year of receiving it — even without any timelines or pressure from Community Bridge. “How quickly and frequently folks can pay back this assistance shows us how much we’re helping their financial situations,” says John-West. “It’s setting people up for the best successes possible so they can become empowered with their finances.”
The third type of support Katherine received was a referral to Civida, Edmonton’s largest affordable housing provider. This referral was for additional rent assistance benefits, but many qualifying folks also find new and more affordable homes with Civida — further breaking the cycles faced by countless Edmontonians.
Avoiding Eviction, Controlling Finances, and Finding Stability
Today, Katherine remains in her home with her two sons, now both teenagers and preparing for adulthood. She’s regained control of her finances, cleared out all her debts and arrears, and continues to work full-time while maintaining her household.
“Katherine is a really special success story,” says Katrina. “Many times, we’re meeting people who are in the middle of being evicted or aren’t able to work. Katherine was doing everything right and the odds were still stacked against her. Everything she needed was within reach — she just wasn’t sure where to look. I’m so proud that the team could point her in the best direction for her and her family.”
Thanks to support from ENMAX, the Community Bridge team can continue connecting with folks at risk and prevent them from being evicted and facing homelessness. “We believe in empowering our communities and helping more people access the essentials for a healthy, thriving life,” says Krista Moroz, Manager, Community Partnerships & External Relations at ENMAX. “By supporting Bissell’s Community Bridge Program, we’re not just helping individuals and families in crisis — we’re also investing in the long-term strength of our community and a brighter future for all Edmontonians.”
From January to October 2024, we helped 464 individuals, just like Katherine, facing immediate evictions from their homes. Best of all, 96% of the people we help through Community Bridge stay in their homes. We can’t thank organizations like ENMAX enough for their support — without our generous funders, we wouldn’t be able to offer the crucial help that’s needed throughout our city.
After nearly twelve years of dedicated leadership, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Gary St. Amand as CEO of Bissell Centre. Gary’s time with us has been nothing short of transformative. From the beginning, his vision focused on supporting people and communities to move out of poverty and homelessness.
“When I accepted the role of CEO, a Board member gave me wise counsel. He said, ‘Keep the people you serve at the centre of everything you do, and you’ll be ok.’ That is something that I clung to and has centred my decision-making through the years.”
Gary St. Amand’s Lasting Legacy with Bissell Centre
Gary St. Amand started with Bissell Centre at a significant time in our city’s history. The 10-year Plan to End Homelessness in Edmonton had launched in 2009, and the community had begun to explore new ways to address poverty in the community.
In 2012, he joined the team as the Chief Programs Officer, transitioned to interim CEO in 2015, and was appointed permanent CEO in 2016. “I’m the 11th leader of this organization,” comments Gary. “This organization has existed for nearly 115 years. Having leaders hold their positions for this long is a true testament to Bissell Centre’s constitution.”
Gary’s passion and dedication have left a lasting impact. During his tenure at Bissell Centre, Gary initiated and oversaw the development of numerous initiatives including a crisis diversion program, the development of Hope Terrace, a supportive housing facility for people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, the Outreach Housing Team. He also championed the Community Bridge — our eviction prevention program, Financial Empowerment, and Community Space. Under Gary’s leadership, Bissell Centre expanded its respite Child Care and Family Supports program, formed an Indigenous Engagement team, and implemented the Bissell Self-Sufficiency Matrix, a comprehensive data and evaluation system.
“I remember saying to our team — if asked, ‘how many people have you helped move out of poverty’, I wouldn’t have a way to answer that meaningfully for them. I could tell them how many meals we served and articles of clothing we gave out, but we had no way of knowing whether those things actually helped someone move out of poverty.” This led to the journey of developing a data system that provides a snapshot of how Bissell’s work contributes towards real change in an individual’s lived experience with poverty.
Bissell’s housing teams housed 500 people and helped over 500 people avoid eviction last year alone under his leadership. Over the past three years, the Financial Empowerment program has helped over 6,000 people receive over $20 million in tax returns. This has resulted in real, measurable change for thousands of individuals and families.
And while data has been critical to Bissell Centre’s journey as an organization, seeing the efforts made to learn and tend to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility bore fruit for us in a variety of ways. “It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of work for me personally,” says Gary. “Seeing us learn what it means to be good allies, building relationships with our Indigenous partners and communities, and putting in the hard work to ensure those values are lived out internally at Bissell has been huge.”
Overcoming Challenges
Gary would be the first to acknowledge that the work hasn’t always been easy. “COVID-19 was devastating to the community. With almost no notice, the services and supports people relied on were either gone or significantly reduced.”
In an incredible collaborative effort, numerous partners, including Bissell Centre, created a day service and medical shelter for those without homes within which they could safely shelter.
“I remember the announcement from Premier Kenny that was made on Friday, and by Monday, three days later, our collective of partners opened the doors. We doubled in size in a matter of weeks, relocated many of our programs to the Edmonton Expo Centre, all while trying to figure out, like everyone else at the time, what COVID-19 meant for us as people and employers.
During the first two years of the pandemic, our services continuously adapted to the rapidly changing challenges of poverty. Families and individuals who had never faced financial hardship before suddenly found themselves without options. “The Community Bridge, our eviction prevention program, was inundated with new applications — many from people who had never needed assistance before.”
In addition to COVID-19, another epidemic soon reared its head. Deaths by poisoning due to substances laced with lethal ingredients soared. “When I began working at Bissell Centre, I had not even heard of Naloxone. Never could I have imagined a moment when I would attend a memorial for over 400 people who died while having no home – many of them due to the toxicity levels in narcotics.”
In recent years, the dramatic increase in the cost of living, rental rates, and vacancy rates has further compounded many of the challenges faced by those living with the challenges of poverty. Last year alone, rental rates for single bedroom units increased by 23%.
When asked how he remained positive in the face of these difficult realities, Gary responded, “Because I see the resiliency of those with whom we have the privilege of working alongside, and I see the determination of our incredible team members at Bissell Centre, and our partners and I remember that in our long history, this isn’t the first time the storms have threatened. We have seen time and time again when we keep working together despite what is happening around us, and regardless of where we are situated in our communities, we can endure those storms. We can continue to build a better future for all of us.”
New Opportunities
As Gary continues his personal and professional journey, he will continue to carry his human-centered values into the national context.
“I am so deeply grateful to our team, board members, partners, donors, volunteers and everyone who has leaned into strengthening our communities and worked to make them accessible for everyone.”
“In particular, I want to thank the many people who have come through our doors. I have learned so much from you over the years — lessons on being generous despite having very little, staying hopeful when things feel hopeless, and remaining kind when the world around you feels uncaring.”
We couldn’t agree more! Thank you for 12 years of leadership and wisdom, Gary.
June is an important month for Bissell Centre – it’s both Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month. There is a close connection between what Pride Month is all about and Indigenous history in our country.
Countless Indigenous Nations across what’s now called North America saw Two-Spirit Peoples as not only an engrained and normalized part of their culture — Two-Spirit Peoples were often highly regarded and seen as a gift from the Creator.
“They were a very important part of Cree society,” says Elder Ed Lavallee. He is a traditional Plains Nehiyaw (Cree) of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan whose career in advocacy for Two-Spirit Peoples has seen him collaborate with groups like Pride Edmonton, the Edmonton Queer History Project, and the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society. Quotes from Elder Ed Lavallee reflect the distinct experience of the Plains Nehiyah Peoples.
“They had many roles in the daily lives of their people and were respected and revered for being Two-Spirited. They were often healers, shamans, mediators in marriage and tribal disputes, keepers of their history and their lore, and taking part and often leading in their social and Spiritual Ceremonies.”
While colonial efforts tried to wipe out any non-conformity from a person’s ascribed gender, the presence of these folks never went away. It wasn’t until 1990 that this way of being was finally given a general English translation to help people across Canada understand that, for countless Indigenous Peoples today, there are far more than only two genders.
The Five Genders
For Indigenous Nations in what’s now called Alberta, there are five genders in the community: male, female, male with female spirit, female with male spirit, and transgender.
“Indigenous people believe that both the female and male spirits reside in the body of a Two-Spirit Individual and the degree of dominance of each spirit ultimately impacts the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual identity of each Two-Spirit person,” says Elder Ed Lavallee.
Rather than trying to change people to better fit with the gender they were born with, Indigenous Nations instead made room for these people and ensured they could contribute to the community with the tasks and skills they identified with most.
Males with female spirits could take on cooking and cleaning duties, were widely seen as gifted artists, and some Nations even saw them adopt orphaned children to take on a caregiver role. Females with male spirits contributed by hunting and being warriors. Some Nations saw females with male spirit folks marrying widowed women.
The Reverence for Two Spirit Peoples
In addition to the everyday contributions Two-Spirit Peoples made to their communities, their gift of having two spirits within them also meant they were good healers, medicine people, and visionaries. This is because the two spirits in them give them what’s called double-vision — the ability to see the world through both the male and female lens.
“The belief that Cree Two-Spirit People are special is epitomized in the existence of a powerful Two-Spirit Deity known as Qweskicanskew,” adds Elder Ed Lavallee. “In their spirituality, they believe this Spirit turns things around for the good and well-being of all things on earth. This important Spirit is called upon in prayers for help, protection and blessings.”
Two-Spirit Peoples were foundational to their communities. During colonization, Two-Spirit Peoples’ place in the world seemed to no longer exist. Through the mid- to late-twentieth century, as more Indigenous Peoples began to reclaim their identities, it was clear the different terms used in different Nations like Nádleehí (nad-lay-hee), Winkté (wink-tay), and Niso-acahk-iynew (nee-soh-achak-ee-noo) needed a translation for the wider public to understand.
Bringing Two Spirit to the Wider Public
In 1990, at the Third Annual Intertribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference, Elder Myra Laramee put forth the term Two-Spirit. The term is a translation from the Anishnaabemowin (Ojibwe language) term Niizh Manidoowag (neez man-ee-doo-wog). It was added to the front of the Pride acronym (2SLGBTQIA+) in recent years and was even a part of the focus for the Federal 2SLGBTQIA+ Action Plan launched in 2022.
Today, knowledge and understanding about Two-Spirit Peoples is spreading, but is still far behind from where it was before colonization. People like Dr. James Makokis (a Two-Spirit doctor from Kehewin Cree Nation) and MP Blake Desjarlais (a Member of Parliament from Edmonton) are sharing their stories to help more people understand why Two-Spirit Peoples are an essential part of their Nations – and to reduce the stigmatization around people living their authentic lives.
“They are emerging from their long decades of oppression and marginalization working toward re-establishing their rightful roles in their communities as they go through this period of rediscovery,” says Elder Ed Lavalle. “They are working to be recognized, respected and engaged in an integral manner, within Indigenous communities and society in general.”
This Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month, we’re celebrating the bravery of Two-Spirit people coming out and bringing this piece of Indigenous culture to the public forefront. We hope you’ll join us in making room for Peoples who can walk in both worlds to share their gifts and help make this world a more equitable place for everyone.
