Reconciliation at the Intersection of Gender and Sexuality

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is this Monday, September 30. This day is a reminder for us to reflect on our ongoing journey of reconciliation, where we have been and where we are going.

Although moving toward reconciliation is a year-round responsibility, September 30 serves as a reminder to recognize the harm that has been caused and the ongoing trauma inflicted upon Indigenous Peoples.

The Centre for Sexuality recognizes the impact of colonialism on the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. “Indigenous Peoples have had their traditional ways of knowing, autonomy and reproductive health rights violently infringed upon,” says Pam Krause, CEO. “As an organization that advocates for unobstructed access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and education, combatting these injustices is a high priority for the Centre.”

Making meaningful change through partnership

In meaningful partnership with two Treaty 7 communities, the Centre has been working with Elders and advisors to adapt our Relationship and Sexual Health Education (RSE) program. These partnerships have created culturally relevant curricula which will support youth, parents/natural supports and community service providers to build knowledge, skills, and motivation to make informed choices about their bodies, relationships and sexual health.

The Centre is among many organizations working toward the collective responsibility of reconciliation. Small changes matter: for example, repositioning of the 2SLGBTQ+ acronym to include 2S (Two-Spirit) at the front emphasizes the rich history of Two-Spirit and gender-diverse Indigenous identities which have long been recognized and honoured within Indigenous cultures.

How can a training workshop help on the journey toward reconciliation?

Recognizing the ongoing impact of stigma and discrimination on Indigenous communities, we have worked in partnership to develop training and capacity-building opportunities. From service providers wanting to improve their skills in addressing sexual health for Indigenous clients to leadership or HR teams looking to create a safer environment, we offer workshops through our Training Centre that are applicable across industries and sectors.

“Although our allyship trainings focus on becoming an ally for gender and sexual diversity, we link these allyship tools to supporting all equity-deserving communities, and this awareness lays the groundwork for approaching reconciliation in an intentional and effective manner,” says Nathan Flaig, lead for the Training Centre Team.

The Training Centre offers workshops that explore the impacts of colonization on Indigenous communities, specifically on Two-Spirit and Indigenous gender-diverse individuals. Our workshop Where the Rivers Meet is an introduction to Indigenous perspectives of gender and sexual diversity, as well as the intersections of homophobia, transphobia and colonization.

For more information about our work and our history advocating for marginalized communities, visit our website.

The Centre for Sexuality is committed to doing our part in the journey toward truth and reconciliation in all our work, every day.