Past Research Ceremonies

SEMAA Research Ceremony

Traditional Use of Tobacco [SEMAA] among the Two-Spirited Urban Indigenous Communities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was a part of the RETRAC2: Research on Commercial Tobacco Reduction in Aboriginal Communities supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and led by the University of Toronto in collaboration with 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations. It was a pilot project to assess existing knowledge and practices of SEMAA use as well as knowledge sharing practices among Two-Spirit Urban Indigenous communities. This program was aimed to reconnect urban Indigenous communities with the traditional knowledge, heritage, cultural ceremonies, and practices.

Positive Living Program

The positive Living program is a part of the 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations Treatment as prevention (TasP), U=U strategy. Community members are encouraged to self-test their HIV status and enrol them to bring them into the treatment cascade if diagnosed positive and support them to retrain the treatment adherence by providing various supports needed in their daily life. Our objectives are to prevent new HIV infection and reduce the likelihood of HIV illness, transmission and death.

Community Consultation on Missing and Murdered 2-Spirited Indigenous Women and Girls (MM2SIWG) in Ontario

2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations conducted five community talking circles on Missing and Murdered Two-Spirited Indigenous Women and Girls (MM2SIWG), where 67 MM2SIWG family members participated. Out of 67, a total of 50 participants testimonies were collected from the MM2SIWG’s families on the barriers they face in their day-to-day lives. We collected community input and suggestions to eliminate those barriers and create an enabling and equitable environment to reintegrate those families into the community in a dignified way. The consultation focused on identifying the gaps in understanding the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in Ontario and understanding the performance measures, outcomes, and accountability measures that would be meaningful to those communities. The Ministry of Indigenous Affairs funded this project.

2-Spirits The Gathering

Response to Covid-19

Two-Spirited People of the 1st Nations organized a series of Executive Directors Town Hall and Community Talking Circles virtually. We requested community inputs, land-based strategies, indigenous community support techniques, and cultural teachings to craft an effective community response strategy toward COVID-19.