Hi my friends! Honey River mina pakwacacimosis nitisîyikasôn. pakitahwâkan-sâkahikanihk ohci niya. My name is Honey River, and I am Plains Cree from Sturgeon Lake First Nation. I am a Two Spirit Artist here in Saskatoon and my pronouns are They/Them. I wish all my relatives a Happy Pride and Happy Indigenous History month!
June is honestly one of my favourite times of year because both our Indigenous and Queer communities celebrate. June 21st marks the Summer Solstice and named National Indigenous Peoples Day, and moreover June is National Indigenous History Month. As an Indigenous person, June is a celebration of our connection to seasons, solstices, the interconnected web that is our communities and all living beings. In the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation, June is a time for gatherings, mutual connections, and of course: learning and relearning for all peoples. As a Two Spirit Person, June is a time for celebration, solidarity, and connection as we celebrate Pride across Turtle Island.
As an artist, archaeologist, and storyteller I always love to find those “invisible strings” that hold us together. These are commonalities between culture, language, dress, and art, but today I want to explore the invisible strings between Indigenous and Queer resilience. As a Two Spirit artist I see these stories in the same colour: activism and community. Both Pride and Indigenous History month are built from the action and strength of our community members.
I honour those generations that have marched to make change, called for action, and have moved nations. I honour our community members today who are activating your pockets of community and lighting the fire in your spirit to carve space and continue that spirit. Ultimately, Queer, or Indigenous and both communities; we do it for each other and our future community members who have yet to join us. I have learned this hope to be known as the Seven Generations teaching.
The teaching reminds us that we are constantly in an ongoing cycle of choices and actions. We are the product of the generations before us: our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Our decisions, our healing, and our actions will ripple outwards and affect our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. For myself, I am a nôsisim of Indian Residential School survivors. My family has generational ties to St. Michaels Residential School which was in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. Healing can take many forms but the seven generations reminds us that even the littlest ripple can amplify outwards to make positive change.
As a teen, I distinctly remember this movie my mom watched with us. It was a movie of about three drag queens trying to get to Los Angeles and their journey of being stranded in a small town. A small moment where my mom made space for all voices and manner of stories in our household but to a closeted queer child this was everything. It would not be until I was older that I would find the words: Two Spirit.
Today I am very privileged to be a full-time artist and educator, and now aunty. I create artwork with the intention that each person who wears my beadwork feels strong and beautiful. I foster community care so that no one feels alone. And I share my story because in some way or somehow, we might have more in common than we do apart.
This June if I could give you one reminder it would be this: You are fire and you are starlight. So my friends make sure to nurture yourself in community this month and I will see you there.
êkosi nitôtêm, that is all for now my friend!
Honey River / pakwacacimosis