2-SPIRITED PEOPLE OF THE 1ST NATIONS POSITIVE LIVING: A LAND-BASED APPROACH TO SUPPORT PEOPLE AFFECTED BY AIDS IN TORONTO
The 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations is a community-led agency that serves Two-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, Metis, and Innuit who have been living with or affected by AIDS in the Greater Toronto Area since 1990. As of 2022, our services have expanded to serve communities across Ontario. Keith McCrady, who is Ojibway, Cree, and Two-spirited from the Bear Clan, is the agency leader and uses their strong organizational and management skills during the decision-making process to steer the agency in a new direction. Our team is made up of 60 full-time staff with diverse skills and knowledge, including Two-Spirited, Indigenous people living with HIV/AIDS, 2SLGBTQ+, low-income individuals, people with disabilities, marginalized groups, people with lived experience of substance use, racism, discrimination, and those facing health inequity, including immigrants and refugees. 85% of our staff identifies as 2-Spirited and 100% as queer and non-binary. Our volunteer Board of Directors, which includes Indigenous people living with HIV/AIDS, provides guidance, direction, and support to our daily operations.
Our dedicated Positive Living Program aims to eliminate AIDS by ensuring Undetectable = Untransmittable. As pioneers in holistic land-based HIV/AIDS treatment care and referral support programs for Two-Spirited, Queer, and Non-binary communities, we provide both western and traditional harm reduction services, culturally supported HIV-Self Testing, education, awareness, and prevention activities for Sexually Transmitted and Blood Borne Infections (STBBI). 2-Spirited People offers a comprehensive HIV education, prevention, testing, and treatment referral support program. A dedicated team works six days a week to provide these services. Starting in 2021, 2- Spirited People of the 1st Nations also launched an assisted HIV-self-testing program. In 2021-24, this program served 250 communities, providing 168 pre-test education support sessions and 142 post-testing education and referral support sessions.
2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations offers a Positive Living program was established in 2021 to promote HIV and related STBBI testing, treatment, care, and support. An Indigenous Knowledge Keeper carefully selects the ingredients for the programs and works closely with community members to ensure the cultural safety and well-beings of the members. As of January 2024, this service was utilized by community members 1550 times.
Food for Posi+ive Living
Food for Positive Living offers members a weekly warm indigenous meal, complete with a recipe and educational brochure, to promote physical and spiritual well-being. Furthermore, this program encourages community members to collect grocery baskets from the 2-Spirtied People of the 1st Nations grocery support program and prepare healthy meals for themselves.
Hygiene for Posi+ive Living
Personal Hygiene Kits for Positive Living gives members their items, such as hair trimmers, nail clippers, and saving kits, to avoid sharing with others.
Technology for Posi+ive Living
Technology for Positive Living provides monthly telephone, internet, and phone/tablet support, as well as tech support over Zoom to ensure members have access to resources and their community.
Transportation for Posi+ive Living
Transportation for Positive Living offers Uber rides, a monthly TTC pass, and a Presto card to help members attend medical appointments, grocery shopping, and ceremonies, eliminating the worry of missing out due to a lack of transportation and commuting services.
Sleeping for Posi+ive Living
Cozy Bedbug-Free Sleeping for Positive Living provides a new mattress and bed, along with heavy-duty cleaning support, to members affected by bedbugs, allowing them hassle-free healthy sleeping.
Elders, Talking Circle and Sweat Lodge for Positive Living
Elders, Talking Circle and Sweat Lodge for Positive Living hold a monthly sweat lodge and talking circle, followed by a feast, to ensure members are in good physical and mental health.
Warm Breakfast for Treatment Adherence
Warm Breakfast for Treatment Adherence a week of breakfast support, coupled with daily wellness check-ups, is provided to people on Antiretroviral Treatment to ensure they are adhering to their treatment regimen and taking their medication as prescribed.
On top of this, we are providing comprehensive support to our communities. This includes helping them find employment, access social assistance, obtain legal services, find housing, receive crisis intervention, cultural support, ceremonies, sweat lodge, trauma counselling, elder support, child minding, grocery assistance, transportation, and tailored support to those in need. We are also developing and providing land-based, culturally supported training to community members, stakeholders, grassroots, and individuals based on Indigenous holistic health and wellness philosophies. To ensure the rights of 2-Spirited people, Indigenous women, and queer and non-binary people in Canada, we provide cultural safety training to our community members and stakeholders. Additionally, we provide Toronto Community Crisis Support and operate 24/7 as an alternative to police crisis response for 2-Spirited and Indigenous communities in East Toronto. Moreover, we are working to establish a shelter and transit home for 2-Spirited, queer and non-binary people who are vulnerable and displaced from different territories and have ended up in Toronto without support or community protection.
If you are a member of the community impacted by AIDS or have an immunocompromised condition and wish to participate in any of the programs discussed earlier, kindly contact one of our staff or program facilitators.