The University of British Columbia
UBC - A Place of Mind
The University of British Columbia
Equity & Inclusion Office
  • About
    • Our team
    • Employment
    • Connect with us
  • What we do
    • Capacity building consultations
    • Human rights advising
    • Institutional initiatives
      • Strategic Equity and Anti-Racism Framework
      • Employment Equity
        • Employment Equity Survey
      • Student Demographic Data Project
      • Dimensions Action Plan for EDI in Research
  • Resources
    • Accessibility hub
    • Connection and support
    • Courses and workshops
    • Days of significance
    • Guides, tools and templates
    • Gender diversity hub
    • Funding opportunities
      • Strategic Equity & Anti-Racism (StEAR) Enhancement Fund
      • Past Recipients
    • Plans, policies & reports
  • Get involved + connected
    • Affinity groups and clubs
    • EDI Action Network
    • Employment Equity Advisor Program
    • Equity committees
  • Events
    • EDI for Teaching Assistants
    • Past events
  • News
    • Newsletter sign-up
    • Submit newsletter content
  • StEAR framework
    • Compositional change
    • Curricular change
    • Interactional change
    • Structural change
    • Aligning UBC’s EDI commitments to develop the StEAR Roadmap
    • StEAR Framework frequently asked questions
  • UBC Okanagan
Home / News and Stories / Coast Sailish Two-Spirit Pride Banner Unveiled

Categories

  • Case studies (6)
  • Current Conversations (5)
  • Days of Significance (21)
  • Events (77)
  • Featured (11)
  • Messages from the AVP (33)
    • Remarks by the AVP (8)
  • News and Stories (282)
    • Community Spotlight (2)
  • Our Team (33)
    • Administration Team (3)
    • Communications Team (3)
    • Human Rights Team (6)
    • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-racism (IDEA) Team (2)
    • Institutional Initiatives Planning & Evaluation team (10)
    • Leadership Team (5)
    • Operations Team (7)
    • Strategic Partnerships & Capacity Building (SPCB) Team (7)
    • UBC Okanagan Team (4)
    • UBC Vancouver Team (27)
  • Resources (2)

Coast Sailish Two-Spirit Pride Banner Unveiled

June 4, 2019

A Coast Sailish Two-Spirit Pride banner was recently unveiled at the AMS Nest.

The following description was provided by the artist and the Musqueam First Nation:

“Mack (xwməθkwəy̓əm) developed the Coast Salish Two Spirit Pride symbol as a visual representation of Coast Salish Two Spirit unity, dignity and respect.

The design was created using traditional Coast Salish art style and shapes, and emulates the rainbow Pride symbol already used by our settler LGBTQ+ friends. It was created to support our own Two Spirit/Indigenous LGBTQ+ programming in our communities, and to acknowledge the land, identities and experiences of our Two Spirit ancestors and relatives.

SYMBOLISM: Red represents Fire; Orange represents Vision or Visibility for Two Spirit People; Yellow is the Sun; Green shows the Land, where our Identity comes from; Blue represents Water; and Purple depicts the məθkwəy̓ plant (in the territory where Mack is from), but it also represents the ecosystems of different Coast Salish territories. The rainbow design is cradled by Coast Salish clouds.

The term ‘Two Spirit’ is a pan-Indigenous term that was developed by Indigenous leaders and Elders, as a way to capture unique identities, genders, sexualities, and knowledges among and within Indigenous cultures. It is used today as an umbrella term, for the many diverse ways individual First Nations and their community members define their own genders, sexualities, and cultural traditions and practices relating to Indigenous LGBTQ+.

It is important to recognize not every Indigenous Nation or Indigenous person who is LGBTQ+ will apply the term Two Spirit as an identifier. Some Nations already have their own traditional words for Two Spirit folk. How each individual chooses to identify themselves is to be respected.

Currently, Musqueam Nation is working to identify a new term for Two Spirit, in our own hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. Until that work is complete, we recognize and use the term Two Spirit to be intentionally inclusive of the many diverse ways individuals and Nations describe Indigenous LGBTQ+ relatives, traditions, identities, experiences, and knowledges.”

The banner production was supported by the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office and the Faculty of Education through the Jane Rule Initiative funded by Dr. Robert Quartermain.

News and Stories | positive space

  • Previous
  • Next
UBC Equity & Inclusion Office
Brock Commons South Building 4003
6180 Walter Gage Road
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1
Tel 604 827 1773
Website equity.ubc.ca
Email info@equity.ubc.ca
Find us on
    
Back to top
The University of British Columbia
  • Emergency Procedures |
  • Terms of Use |
  • Copyright |
  • Accessibility