THUNDER BAY — For a long time, Reed Lecomte, a Two-Spirit knowledge carrier, was drawn to the drum — an instrument only men typically sit by.
Knowing that he was not allowed to sit and drum it, he said, was really hard.
As such, Lecomte was really excited that the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre brought their teaching drum to the annual Two-Spirit powwow on Saturday.
The teaching drum is meant for anyone who felt they wanted to come and be a part of the drumming, he explained.
“Having this opportunity for youth and for people to come and sit by the big drum and be their true self and let their spirits walk the way that they want to walk is really important for healing and for community and for inclusion at whole in these ceremonies,” said Lecomte.
Lecomte said he was really honoured to be asked to be a Two-Spirit knowledge carrier in the space on Saturday because he felt it’s really important for inclusion.
“I come with a different set of teachings that aren't typical to everyone, that are Two Spirit-specific and to honour Two-Spirit people to have those teachings present at these places so it's more normalized and everybody gets to hear these teachings,” said Lecomte.
“And it helps Two-Spirit people navigate through ceremony and through powwow and through different circles and let’s everyone be on board with what Two Spirit teachings are because they’re a little bit different.”
He said the growth of the powwow also matters to him because it centres on Two-Spirit people and brings those teachings to the bigger population.
“Slowly but surely, it’s trying to open a door for us to be included in in all ceremony and all powwows and all different circles to be our true self because a lot of times there’s a lot of colonial threads that are woven in ceremony,” said Lecomte.
“And this is bringing that attention to it that actually there was never a binary. And we’re going to honour that today even though it’s just today and it’s just during June or it’s just during pride month, it brings that knowledge to everybody to have an opportunity to learn.”
Lecomte said gender is taken out of the Two-Spirit powwow, so people can feel more free to be themselves, dance the way they want to dance and be true to their own spirit, which is one of the biggest first teachings.
Roughly 350 people stopped by the powwow co-sponsored by Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek (BNA).
“It’s become very popular and because of its proximity to the city, people are quite happy to come forward and come here, too. So we’re happy to have them,” said BNA councillor and elder Marcel Donio.
The First Nation is located more than 150 kilometres north-east of Thunder Bay, but Donio explained that several years ago, the BNA’s family well-being unit acquired a property on the outskirts of the city and is in the process of making office space on the land and in an old school — and hosting the annual powwow there.
Donio said the event is much larger now than it was when they started it and thanked everyone for coming out.
Logan McIvor, the friendship centre’s Indigenous Two-Spirit LGBTQ+ mentor, agreed the powwow keeps getting bigger and bigger every year, with even more drum groups, including some from out of town like Southern Thunderbird Medicine Drum and with youth like Young Thunder.
“We try to make sure that it’s as inclusive as possible, that anybody, regardless of gender identity or what the sex that they were assigned at birth was able to participate in whatever dance or special that they’d like to,” said McIvor.
Although June is Pride Month and Pride is very important, McIvor said, they always try to ensure they’re celebrating everybody as they are.
“The name this year was gifted to us by Ma-Nee Chacaby. So with it being Niizhoojijaak-Dinawemaganug Kamamowichigeymin, that means Two-Spirit and all our relations… coming together,” said McIvor.
“And it’s just important to have it get bigger and bigger every year so that we’re celebrating, not just our Indigenous pride but also making sure that everyone has space to celebrate ceremony.”
For anybody who’s never been to a powwow, he said it’s always good to come, check it out and their arena directors and MCs are always good about directing people.