Respect is a Tribal tradition: Change Team supports LGBTQ/Two-Spirits
Elders tell of those
with two spirits
Before colonization and throughout
many Tribal communities and histories,
there existed a deep understanding and
affirmation of broad and mixed gender
roles. People were not just bom men or
women, masculine or feminine, we all
had a mix of both traits within ourselves.
“Our Elders tell us of people who were
gifted among all beings because they car
ried two spirits, that of male and female. It
is told that women engaged in Tribal war
fare and married other women, as there
were men who married other men. These
individuals were looked upon as a third and
fourth gender in many cases and in almost
all cultures they were honored and revered.
Two-spirit people were often the visionar
ies, the healers, the medicine people, the
nannies of orphans, the care givers." Sandra
La framboise and Michael Anhom1
After colonization, there has been
little recognition of this history and often
our Two-Spirit Tribal members feel iso
lated and invisible in both their Tribal
community as well as the larger world.
In 2010, with the support of the
Western States Center, the Siletz Tribal
Change Team was created to improve the
services that are utilized by the lesbian,
gay, bi-sexual, transgendered and queer
(LGBTQ) and Two-Spirit community.
Mindful that we have not as a com
munity or Tribal government made explicit
efforts to reach out and serve our LGBTQ/
Two-Spirit community members, the team
committed to create awareness, provide
education/resources and change the culture
of the Native community to be more accept
ing of LGBTQ/Two-Spirit individuals.
In the last few months, the Change
Team has succeeded in:
Hosting a staff retreat where mem
bers developed their overall vision
and goals, creating work plans that
detailed the activities and objectives
for the next year
Holding monthly support groups in
the Siletz, Portland and Salem offices.
The support groups provide educa
tion, peer support and an environment
that is accepting and safe for LGBTQ/
Two-Spirit and allies
Changing policies in the 477 Self-
Sufficiency Program to be more
inclusive of LGBTQ families and
individuals
Developing visual resources for
Tribal offices that depict diversity
and acceptance
Planning upcoming events, including
a National Coming Out Day gathering
on Oct. 11
In an effort to promote the National
Coming Out Day event as well as elevate
the lives, voices, experiences and leader
ship of LGBTQ/Two-Spirit Tribal citi
zens, the Change Team will profile Tribal
community members who are proudly
LGBTQ/Two-Spirit leaders. This month,
the Change Team will profile one of its
own members, Kurtis Barker.
Barker is the director of the 477
Self-Sufficiency Program and chair of
the Tribal Transportation Advisory Com
mittee. He previously served as chair of
the Change Team and as chair for several
to come out when I was independent and
financially stable. I also grew to accept
who I was as I got older and I was tired of
portraying a person that I wasn’t.
If the Tribe were to become truly
welcoming and affirming, what would
that look like to you? We are moving
in the right direction and the Change
Team has made many positive changes. I
would like to see Tribal programs identify
clearly in our policies and procedures that
years on the Tribal Election Board. He
also has run for Tribal Council.
Barker was interviewed and a sum
mary of the questions is listed below:
What’s it like being Two-Spirit
in Siletz? Being Two-Spirit and “out”
within the community definitely feels iso
lating as there are not many who identify
openly as LGBTQ, men especially. There
are times when I have faced discrimina
tion, homophobia and hate. I grew up
experiencing and accepting homophobia
and discrimination. This is one of the
main reasons I participate on the Change
Team - to create positive change is impor
tant to me.
How were you raised in your family
to understand who you are and what
identities you can claim? Gayness was
never spoken of positively in my home.
Discussions about the subject created an
environment where I could never truly be
myself. I'm 28 and I’ve been “out” to my
immediate family for two years now and
sometimes it still feels hard.
How have you been able to share
this identity with other folks in your
family and community? I’ve only shared
my identity with my immediate family,
friends and several close extended fam
ily members. I’ve also participated on the
Change Team for well over a year now.
Sharing very personal information about
myself is not something I like to do; at
the same time, sharing that part of me has
been uplifting. I hope by doing so it can
change someone’s mind about how they
feel toward the LGBTQ community.
How have they responded? For the
most part, the response has been positive.
I think acceptance from my immediate
family has been the hardest. It’s a com
ing out process for them as well and it’s
a conversation that will need to con
tinue. The response from my friends has
been extremely positive and I probably
wouldn't be where I am without them.
What would make you feel wel
come and affirmed within your own
community? Everyone wants to feel
some sort of affirmation or acceptance
and I think the Siletz community is getting
better with that. I think making it known
that the Tribal community will support
you regardless of your sexual identity is
very important and voicing that over and
over so acceptance is the norm.
How has your sexual orientation
shaped your role in the community and
the way you have grown your influence
and leadership? I wouldn’t be anywhere
near where I am today if I didn’t first face
my own internalized homophobia and
know and accept myself. Being part of the
LGBTQ community has led me to want
to help others and prove that I can create
positive change, positive influence and
show leadership, not just within my pro
gram but within the community and Tribe.
What factored into your decision to
come out to your family or community?
Growing up, I feared rejection from fam
ily and friends if I came out. So I chose
we serve LGBTQ/Two-Spirit families
and individuals. The Change Team also
would like to create a marriage equality
ordinance that allows same sex marriage
and have employee benefits that cover
partners of LGBTQ employees.
Why are support groups for Two-
Spirit folks in Siletz an important
response and effort to building a wel
coming community within the Tribe?
I think the support groups are extremely
important. They create a safe space where
LGBTQ individuals and allies can come
together. We need to hear from the com
munity on what needs to be improved
and where we can move forward within
the Tribe. We are creating awareness and
having conversations that wouldn’t exist
if not for these support groups.
How are LGBTQ and Two-Spirit
issues seen or thought of within the
Tribe? I think the Change Team has
brought up situations and conversations
that people didn’t think would happen
within the Tribe. I think many of the
changes we have done or are planning to
do will be accepted by the Tribe. We have
had resistance, but overall we are mak
ing positive changes and getting results
with our work. I hope our work is seen
as something that’s long overdue and
needed. All members of the Tribe should
feel accepted and affirmed regardless of
their sexual orientation or gender identity.
If you would like to be profiled and
included in the Change Team’s efforts,
please contact Jamie Bokuro or Tracey
Worman at 800-922-1399 or 541-444-
2532.
1
Upcoming Events
Siletz
Support Group Meeting - Sept. 18
5:30-6:30 p.m. (potluck, bring your
favorite dish)
- Oct. 11
Time TBD. Contact the Change Team
if you would like to participate in the
planning process. Barbecue to be pro
vided. More information to be included
in the October issue of Siletz News.
Portland
Support Group Meeting - Sept. 19
5:30 p.m. (potluck, bring your favor
ite dish)
Salem
Support Group Meeting - Sept. 20
5 p.m. (potluck, bring your favorite dish)
Eugene
Support Group Meeting - Sept. 21
5 p.m. (potluck, bring your favorite
dish)
Please contact the area offices if you
would like to participate in our upcoming
events or if you would like more informa
tion on the Change Team. You also can
find valuable information on our Face
book page. Just search “Change Team”
and click “Like”
CEDARR
Retrieved July 19,2010, from dancingtoeagle-
spiritsociety.org/twospirit.php
Community Efforts
Demonstrating the Ability to
Rebuild and Restore
Siletz Tribal
Behavioral Health
Programs
Mission Statement: We will
utilize resources to prevent the
use of alcohol and other drugs,
delinquency and violence; we
Prevention,
Outpatient Treatment and
Women’s Transitional
will seek to reduce the barriers to
Siletz: 800-600-5599 or
541-444-8286
Sept. 5 • 5:30 p.m.
treatment and support those who
choose abstinance.
Siletz Public Library
Eugene: 541-484-4234
255 SE Gaither, Siletz
Salem: 503-390-9494
Portland: 503-238-1512
Narcotics Anonymous Toll-Free
Help Line - 877-233-4287
For information on Alcoholics
C®»R
Anonymous: aa-oregon.org
September 2012
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Siletz News