2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations has set up our dedicated research unit to cultivate traditional land-based knowledge, cultural ceremonies and reclaim the roles of the 2-Spirits and Indigenous queer communities in the Indigenous circle. Since its inception in 1990, 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations has continuously worked on land-based research and knowledge reclamation. 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations consistently share and diligently work to reclaim Indigenous traditional Knowledge, skills, and ceremonies. Over the past few years, we have conducted significant studies and facilitated knowledge harnessing.
In 2019, we extensively reviewed the service utilization patterns among the 2-Spirited and queer Indigenous and non-binary communities in Toronto and areas we serve. This research analyzed the types of services community members frequently utilized, identified underutilized services, and ascertained which programs and services the community desired in the future. We designed our future programs and services based on community input and suggestions.
In 2020, we conducted community consultation on the Traditional Use of SEEMA (Tobacco) among Toronto’s Urban 2-Spirited and Indigenous communities. It was an incredible research project supported by the University of Toronto. This project involved collecting personal testimonies from community members about their relationship with this sacred medicine and their usage pattern. We also held virtual Seema growing and harvesting training sessions for community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. This project provided substantial emotional and mental health support to the community members by bringing them close to our traditional medicines and ceremonies.
In 2022 and 2023, we conducted various projects, including community consultations on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MM2SIWG), a 2-Spirit model for HIV self-testing, treatment, and care, supported by The Feast Centre for Indigenous STBBI Research at McMaster University. Our Supporting 2SLGBTQQIA+ project is conducting service mapping and needs assessment across the Ontario. Other significant projects include the Indigenous-Focused Anti-Racism and Anti-Hate Technical Tables (2023), funded by the Anti- Racism Directorate, and the Indigenous Youth and Mental Health project under Professor Suzanne Stewart at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
In 2024, we are conducting a Knowledge-Sharing project on the 2-Spirit Family Child program, organizing 40 community consultations in the Greater Toronto Area and Sudbury. We aim to reach 400 parents/guardians and caregivers of Indigenous children (who may identify as queer or 2-spirit), as well as 2-Spirit parents/guardians and caregivers, to gather their feedback and testimonies on their experiences with Child Care, EarlyON, (Aboriginal) Headstart, Before and After school Programs, Youth Programming and Child Welfare. Based on their input, we will develop a comprehensive training manual, resources, and a resource guide to guide service providers in offering culturally supported education and support in early schooling. This training will create an enabling environment, ensuring that 2-Spirit children and families receive education/support in a culturally supported, non-discriminatory manner.