The Anchorage Museum will feature a new film next month that aims to introduce LGBTQ themes into Alaska Native culture.
“Dear Kin” is a storytelling project that highlights so-called “Two-Spirit” natives through video portraiture.
“Each person shares their personal experiences of being who they are in a short video format, reflect on who and what has informed them, and where they draw their strength from,” a museum teaser for the movie states. “Dear Kin is a letter to past, present, and future Indigenous queer relatives.”
Directed by Alexis Anoruk Sallee the film is made possible by a group called Native Movement – a LGBTQ activist group that formed in 2003 to push queer themes in Alaska Native culture. According to the museum notice Sallee’s work is focused on “breaking down misconceptions and stereotypes of Indigenous peoples.”
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The term “Two-Spirit,” however, has come under historical scrutiny as fabricated concept to suggest that LGBTQ identity is somehow a traditional part of Alaska Native culture. In reality the term was first introduced during a 1990 LGBTQ activist gathering called the Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Activist Albert McLeod proposed the term two-spirit to refer to the Indigenous LGBTQ community.
The term was highlighted this past summer when the Alaska Native Heritage Center partnered with Native Movement to host a highly controversial Drag Queen story hour for toddlers, which was met by a protest from local Alaska Natives. Across the country the two-spirit concept is regularly utilized to initiate young indigenous children into the world of gender fluidity.
According to the museum notice, Native Movement focuses on “ensuring Indigenous Peoples’ rights, the rights of Mother Earth, dismantling patriarchy, and ultimately shaping healthy and sustainable communities for all.”
“Dear Kin” will show Oct. 4-31 with a special premiere night set for Oct. 15, 5-8 p.m. Click here for more information.
10 Comments
They are under the influence of satan and his minions, it’s why all reasoning is out the window with them, some of them even proclaim their false allegiance to Christianity and may even flaunt it. They do not represent Alaska natives as a whole, instead they represent a misguided lot and also attract those who are lost and eyes are shut. Is this what the Alaska Federation of Natives supports? I’m Native and belong to a tribe and they don’t support perversion, they support traditional family values and they kick this filth to the drain like AFN should be doing. The Anchorage museum peddles a lot of this ilk lately, it’s become the bastion of perversion, a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.
Nein.
Used to go to that museum often. Won’t go anymore.
Woke bull crap sick people.
Every group of peoples around the world needed Jesus. Alaska Native/American Indian are no different needing Jesus. While they attempt informing the public that homosexuality took place in Indigenous communities, we can’t ignore the history of some Native elders in the 1300-1400s embracing Jesus too and the differences these elders saw between the old life and the new life which led them to accept Jesus. Their stories are important knowing why some Native elders before Boarding Schools even existed turned away from the old ways to embrace a new way when they learned about Jesus.
Maybe for Native peoples today not comfortable bringing up this past feature of ‘two spirits’, they ought to make small research for the past records that can be found about Native elders who chose to recieve Christ that pre-dates Indian Residential and Boarding Schools, seeking answers why some elders chose to embrace Christ.
I was introduced to one yupik elder through a book recording family stories by a Native author, the real life character embraced Christ because of the shame-culture resulting her being shunned since she was a little girl and something she had done that was perceived as bad. She said to the author’s grandma, their people knew what was compassion. It was Christ was introduced her people learned what is Grace. So for this Native elder what she found on the Cross was Grace. This elder she predates boarding school days, so the being brainwashed and forced attack can’t be applied to her. This elder had recieved Christ willingly.
Shame on you for publishing this article. You are implying that people should continue to deny themselves because of a mistranslation? Because of fear of power of women and men with unique characteristics. Articles like this and even sites like yours are why LGBTQ people are murderded in such high rates still. Very hypocritical. You should change your name from faith-based to fear-based, and check your facts about colonization and what has existed and will continue to exist long after your whole organization based on genocide and sexual abuse crumbles.
Sara: right on. Supporters of the Watchman are dangerous. Contributor Jen, in this thread, exemplifies the corrosive delusion of Christianity. Intolerance and hypocrisy are as fundamental as the cross and scripture.
Evan: If you feel threatened here, you are free to leave.
Well, maybe if the “two-spirit” folks didn’t have to lie about the origin of their doctrine, and instead provided the actual history and language of Native Culture, we wouldn’t suspect their motives. Perhaps you can explain when Native Culture promoted child abuse by showing them men dressed as exceptionally loose women dancing about in dresses and flashing their crotches? Because I don’t think that was ever part of Native Culture, not now or then. Conflating the truth about history with murderous intent shows me that you are unwilling to engage this discussion on its merit and instead will continue to rely on your emotions to make your decisions about who and what you will associate with. Please come back when you can use logic instead of your “feels.”