"We Are Everywhere": Two-Spirit People and the Reclaiming of a Deep Past
Join Professor Greg Smithers to open new insights into histories of gender diversity and sexual fluidity in Native America. In 1990, a small group of Indigenous people left the Third Annual Gathering of Gay and Lesbian Indians in a buoyant mood. They had just concluded a conference in which they had coined a new name for themselves—Two-Spirit—and felt the tide of history turning in their favor. "We are everywhere," one delegate announced jubiliently. But what did it mean to be Two-Spirit? How did this moment, at the height of the HIV-AIDS pandemic, open new insights into histories of gender diversity and sexual fluidity in Indian Country? As we'll see, the 1990 gathering at Winnipeg became a portal into deep time and to vast repositories of historical knowledge once thought irretrievably lost.
Other Experiences
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Evening Program: Dancing at the Governor's Palace
"Virginians will dance or die" wrote an 18th-century diarist. What better time than the 21st century to learn a few "new" dance steps? Audience participation encouraged.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Sweet Tea & Barley Labor Day Patio Celebration
Join us for music, games, and great food on the Patio of at Sweet Tea & Barley to celebrate Labor Day and the end of the Summer.
Open to the Public
Event Ticket
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Tour: Poetry & Art
Join us on a family-friendly tour. We will explore the galleries, connecting objects on exhibit to favorite poems, and then enjoy a poetry-writing activity.
Art Museums Admission