Leadership with Grand Council Treaty #3 is recognizing and celebrating Pride Month across northwestern Ontario.

“I am extremely proud of the support I have found in our Pride initiatives here in Treaty #3,” said Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, after attending a Pride flag-raising ceremony in Lac La Croix First Nation.

“The leadership of the Anishinaabe Nation is excited to bring Two-Spirit teachings back into our governance models and we expect some announcements regarding our LGBTQ2S+ Council this month.”

Grand Council’s Chiefs in Assembly voted to create an LGBTQ2S+ Council and add it to its Four Directional Governance Model last year, as leadership hoped to make decisions informed by their experience.

Grand Council Treaty #3 would later declare June as Pride Month across their territory for the first time in 2020.

“We saw that although our Four Directional Governance Model has been highly successful at organizing our decision-making processes, some of our people’s voices remained unheard,” added Kavanaugh, noting the other councils are Women’s, Youth, Men’s and an Elder Council.

“But it became clear to me that some of the citizens I represent may not see themselves represented in these categories. Leadership agreed that this needed to change,” explains Kavanaugh.

Now, the council is unveiling its new logo and plans to undertake a traditional ceremony to receive a new name. Grand Council notes they’re also working to assemble care packages for LGBTQ2S+ citizens that are experiencing difficult times during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The logo was designed by Herminia Zavala of Northwest Angle #33 First Nation. Zavala says they wanted to create something that featured both masculine and feminine spirit, and the image represents the two-spirit male and female energies and how together, they bring balance and unity.

<img alt="''" data-caption="Courtesy of Grand Council Treaty #3.&nbsp;” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”9a47ef07-460c-470e-93fd-2c05714d85a2″ src=”https://golden-west-content.s3.amazonaws.com/inline-images/councilnew.png”>Courtesy of Grand Council Treaty #3. 

“On behalf of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3 I wish to send a message to LGBTQ2S+ people in our Nation and beyond: we see you, we appreciate you, it is important that you know that you are loved, and I humbly request that you celebrate with us this month and rejoin our circles in any way that you can,” added Ogichidaa Kavanaugh.

The Pride flag has also been raised in Kenora, Dryden and Sioux Lookout, and will fly proudly throughout June.

Kenora Pride says 2021’s events have been put on hold due to social distancing requirements, and members are planning major events for 2022.

In Dryden, the Rainbow Alliance Dryden says they’ll be holding their Pride Lives Here colouring contest until June 30, with a Pride Rocks Scavenger Hunt planned for June 6 to June 20. Drag Bingo is set to return on June 11.

The month of June was chosen for LGBTQ2S+ Pride month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred in June of 1969. Police raided an LGBTQ2S+ bar in New York City, sparking six days of riots and protests. The incident served as the catalyst for the gay rights movement in North America.