Episode 17: Prestin Thōtin-awāsis

On this episode of Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines we share our recent conversation with Nēhiyaw/Metis/Mixed Two-Spirit activist, Prestin Thōtin-awāsis.

We discuss his activism and advocacy work, the importance of mental health support in Indigenous communities, and the importance of the T2S in MMIWGT2S and how communities and individuals can support survivors and families. 

Prestin uses his platforms and voice to uplift Indigenous youth and 2S/Indigiqueer perspectives. He promotes wellness and advocates for mental health and 2SLGBTQ+ equity & rights. Prestin shares poetry, think pieces and discusses sobriety and healing with a focus on intergenerational wisdom.

Prestin has worked in Northern and Central Saskatchewan in multiple roles supporting Indigenous clients and communities over the last six years. This background and his lived experiences have led him to advocacy and have assisted him in understanding and identifying his own traumas and stories.

To learn more about Prestin follow him on Instagram at @prestomanifest0 and be sure to check out his LinkTree for more inform about Prestin's advocacy work, his poetry and resources.

This episode of Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines was produced by Viktor Maco, Spirit Buffalo and J.B. Hart. Edited by Abbey Franz. Research by Sarah Rose Harper. 

Hosted by LeAndra Nephin.

This season of Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines is produced with support from Earth Rising Foundation, our Patreon producers, Reena Krishnan and Kathy Duerr.

Additional support from our patrons at Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee.

Would you like to be a guest on Not Invisible: Native Peoples on the Frontlines, or know someone who would, drop us an email at  redhousetvseries@gmail.com.

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Transcript

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  00:00

I'm a body of prayers. I'm a body of Community Voices. I'm a body of pain. I'm a body of so many things. And we all are and I think we just need to stop putting those things on people putting our expectations on people to be anything other than themselves.

LeAndra Nephin  00:27

Welcome to not invisible native peoples on the frontlines. I'm your host, Leandra Neff and today on our virtual couch we have Preston though tena wass is joining us. I'm really excited to get to know you, Preston, and to get to know more about what it is you do your advocacy work, your passion projects. I'm a huge fan. I follow you on social media, your Instagram is just amazing. And the work that you do is really thoughtful and insightful. So could you introduce yourself to our listeners and tell us more about who you are and what it is you do?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  01:04

Absolutely. So Tom say Preston thought Anwar Cessna Sigurdson amateur was born like cochinita. So hello, everyone. My name is Preston thought analysis. My I'm reclaiming that name for dinner losses translates to Woodland Creek. I grew up in Stanley, Michigan, Saskatchewan, which is located on treaty six territory in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. And yeah, I'm just really excited to be here. Thank you for those kind words. Thank you for having me.

LeAndra Nephin  01:32

Yeah, the pleasure is all ours. And in fact, I'm really, really excited to get into this and dive in a little bit deeper. I guess the first question I want to ask is really to talk about how you got started with the advocacy work that you you do. I know that when we when you kind of look through your social media platforms, you talk a lot about healing, and sobriety and your identity as a Two Spirit individual along with kind of some of these more topical and relevant issues that seem to be coming up more and more on social media around pretending anism? How did you get started into kind of using that social media platform to to kind of express yourself in that way? How did that all begin?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  02:15

Yeah, so it was many moons ago, I was getting. Honestly, I think I started like everyone else, it was just a form of like expressing myself. Whether or not that was performative, though was depending on my mental health, to be honest. So back when I first started my first working with victim services, in a role of indigenous resource officer in the north, I was servicing indigenous clients. And in doing that work, and helping victims and survivors of crime and traumatic events, it really helped me process my traumas and understand what I was going through. Some of it was very shocking, some of those triggers and memories have come up, unwarranted, I guess I was responding to something. And I could have been triggered from that call. Moving forward into my journey, the longer I worked in those fields in those capacities, I started to understand my own traumas. So in doing that, I started writing more, I have always wrote poetry, but I was never really competent in sharing it. And it was kind of it wasn't there yet. It just wasn't where I wanted it to be. But it was enough for me at the time to help me process my feelings. So then fast forward a couple of years to I think about two years ago, so about 2020 2019, I started letting go of the perception of like, my Instagram needs to look a certain way, I need to be sharing a certain type of thing at certain times, and I'm gonna fight with the algorithm. And I just let it go. And I was like, honestly, that isn't who I am. And I'm not doing it for that reason. So why do I care what anyone else thinks of what I'm doing, as long as I'm doing it with a good heart and with good intention. So I started sharing my work and it started taking off, I think it just resonated with some people. And in the beginning, I shared primarily just poetry. And then I transitioned into some opinion pieces, some think pieces. And then you know, as I stepped into that, it kind of went hand in hand with the work that I do working with indigenous clients and indigenous people. So all those kind of intersections met each other and who I am at work as who I am at home, and who I am on Instagram and I really focus on being that being genuine being vulnerable, being transparent and just being open with people like mental health and culture and to spirit identities and MMI WG two s plus like, these are real things and like, how do we hold space for them in respectful ways, but how do we also challenge narratives that are in Indian Country, they're kind of swept under the rug by our own people sometimes, and I think as Two Spirit people, we have the ability to kind of call that in sometimes in different ways. I guess I don't not to discredit any of the work people do that aren't to spirit. But I think we're able to navigate those, navigate those difficult conversations. And ultimately, I think that's what my platform has become. It's kind of outgrown me in some way. But I do appreciate all of the people I've met along the way, stories I've heard and what people might get from me, I'm also getting from other people on any social media platform. That's kind of what led me into that, if that makes sense.

LeAndra Nephin  05:34

Yeah, absolutely. And I guess, as you were, you were speaking, it kind of reminded me, even I guess, of my own journey, because I kind of started in a similar way, you know, I started working in kind of advocacy and support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, you know, more specifically, sexual violence. And as I was doing that work, I had kind of a similar thing that I started to become more and more involved in advocacy work outside of that professional capacity. And when you were kind of talking about even your journey towards healing, you know, you started first of all, by writing about it. And when we talk about kind of healing, and allowing the processing of those, I guess, trauma memories and things that you hold, within your body, and in your mind, and in your spirit, you know, storytelling that really goes to kind of our ways as indigenous people. But you mentioned that you kind of reached this point, in your, I guess, journey, where you were carefully carefully curating, you know, Instagram in a such in such a way that you then eventually came to a point where you said, you just sort of let go, and started to become more vulnerable. What changed in that moment that allowed you to be more comfortable in letting go?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  06:52

I think, healing in general, I mean, that's active process. I'm constantly learning and healing. But ultimately, I do believe it was my sobriety. I'm going on three years sober, which kind of lines up with when I started taking off in my advocacy work on social media. I think I just got to a point in life where it was, one it was, how can I help clients like this work is so important to me, how can I, how can I speak to them with experience and also genuinely, if I'm leaving work and not being that person. And then two, I remember, an elder from Prince Albert area, he actually just passed away this year and my condolences to his family. But his name is Howard Walker, he's very well known in indigenous country for being the amazing emcee that he is. But he had shared something out around on I really touched me and he said, we have to start showing our youth how to live instead of telling them and that sat with me for years until I hit that point when I was like, yeah, like, if I want to be those things. And that sounds cheesy, like what you want to see in the world, you gotta be, but it's true, like what I want to see in the reserves, I have to be that. And I have to champion not, for me, like my healing is attributed to community. So I owe it to the community to give back. Like, it makes me emotional, because it's really hard. It's a hard space to navigate. Because we think about my capacity as an indigenous to spirit person. And you know, I don't think it is the responsibility of individuals to be the changemakers in society. But at the same time, some people don't have the privilege to heal. And I carry that. And I think it's important that all of us carry that we were very privileged, although we all have struggles. And we all have our stories. If we're in spaces where we can heal and speak about these things, then we have to carry those people forward. And we have to push their voices forward and their vulnerabilities that aren't always safeguarded, especially by our own people. My sobriety has become so important in my journey to healing, because it's allowed me to think clearly, it's allowed me to walk into that's exactly what it is, I was able to walk into my cultural and spiritual identity more, because I wasn't in the headspace to do so. And I want to preface headspace not sobriety, because I think if you're not sober, you can still attend ceremony and, you know, be a spiritual person. But my head just wasn't there. I wasn't there. And my sobriety brought me there. So that's what changed in my life that brought me to that space.

LeAndra Nephin  09:44

Congratulations on your sobriety, and just kind of, you know, talking through some of those themes that seem to be far too common for people when we talk about intergenerational trauma and the kind of ripple effect for January nations after, you know, the colonization of our people, I guess when when I think and hear about your words in terms of occupying that headspace, how did you overcome that adversity to find the headspace to accomplish, you know, your your journey towards sobriety and eating,

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  10:19

I think there's so many moments in life whether or not we are open to them or ready for them. And there's words people say like the Elder, the late elder Howard Walker, where he said, show the youth how to live instead of telling them and I think something I love doing is writing. So I take those things, and I, I carry them with me and like as a, as a writer, but just as a human being like, those are like little, we say, light bulbs, but I say they're seeds, they're a little medicine seeds. And until you water that seed with, you know, self love, self respect, seeing how amazing we are, and resilient we are, and moving past a deficit, base way of thinking, I was able to water those seeds. And those medicines we all carry, I think they just like dormant. And some people and those words that resonate with people, they kind of shake up the earth a little in your mind, they shake up those soils to allow those seeds to grow, and give them space. But that's what I think, brought me into that headspace was just moving past a deficit based because we always here as indigenous people, like everything that's wrong with us. And especially as a Two Spirit person growing up on a reserve where I didn't come out till I was 24 years old, which is pretty late, to be honest, like that. It's very late. And now I'm 30. So I've only been out for six years. And it's just amazing to me that I am where I am today. Because six years ago, I was ready to take that to my grave. And that's so sad. But that's all I heard was a deficit based gay people, lesbian people, trans people, anyone that falls under any, like the rainbow umbrella is not deserving of love not deserving of space. So I lived in that headspace until I was 24, essentially, coming out with starting that process, that was another process where I transitioned from a deficit base to I'm okay to exist. And now I've transitioned from, I'm not only okay to exist, I can thrive and exist, I can be beautiful and exist, I can be all of the amazing things that were meant. My ancestors meant me to be, and thrive, and not only just exist and be hoping for the rest of my life in ways that many of our people cope. And it's really, it's hard to see, it's hard to walk with, but I carry those two. I feel like some of these intro questions, I'm going like,

LeAndra Nephin  12:59

no, absolutely. They're not tangents actually, you're dropping some beautiful pearls of, of knowledge and wisdom, in terms of your experience that I think is really going to resonate with a lot of our listeners. And, you know, just tangents actually provide some really powerful and beautiful insights, you know, and it makes me more curious, because you mentioned that you kind of, you know, talks about the seeds as medicine that we all carry. And it reminds me kind of, you know, where there's ruptures or where there's friction, there's also the opportunity to grow and to refine, you know, again, coming from, you know, as you discussed that kind of deficit model. You know, this is something that we see quite a lot, you know, in terms of even mental health and how that kind of further marginalizes people, and not kind of recognizing those strength strengths that people actually carry over the resilience capabilities. You know, even in my practice, I often work from a strengths based model, because there are things that we go through in terms of adversity and obstacles that we overcome, that actually can refine us and create post traumatic growth. So in terms of some of the obstacles and and kind of, you know, as you mentioned, coming out at the age of 24 What was that like for you? I know this is still even a kind of relevant thing on reservations or even amongst our people where there's still this disenfranchisement of our you know, Two Spirit relatives or LGBTQ and trends and there's an I guess, I wonder how how did you navigate that space?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  14:34

This is a really important conversation because I I really have I don't want to say issue but I don't like this conversation people have saying we're no longer there on reserves like it's, it really depends where you are, because certain areas geographically have been affected differently by colonization and by the rest antral schools and day schools and the 60 scoop and where I grew up. So the oldest building in Saskatchewan is a Anglican Church. And it's actually on the reserve in the north where I grew up. It's the oldest building in Saskatchewan. It's a historic and national site. I think it's a national site. For all it is. It's a beautiful, it's beautiful architecture, that beams were brought in from Scotland, I believe. It's so the reserve where I grew up is on the Churchill river. So those were the highways back then. But in saying that the community is primarily Anglican, and I won't go in too much about, you know, religion and all that. But some communities are actively healing and actively being traumatized. To this day, you know, and I think in urban centers, we get lost sometimes thinking like, oh, you know, we've come so far, it's like, well, maybe here, but not really on reserve. Not to say there's no girls on reserve. But there's still a lot of work that needs to be done. So in saying that, the reason I shared that is because growing up I never seen, there was one, I want to say there was one gay person that was an adult that I thought I knew of, on there is or where I grew up, it's about 1700 people on their desert. And there was one person I knew, and I don't think he was beat up or, you know, targeted, like hate crimes, but he was always kind of the laughingstock, you know, it was always people made jokes about him. And that hurt and saying that I never had any safe spaces to come out. And I had these conversations with my mom, too. And she, because I've shared that on my social media, like, I wish I had safe spaces growing up. And like, I love my mom, she's amazing. And like, she made me who I am today. But as a parent, providing safe space is more than just love are more than just feeding and loving. You know, like, if you ask your child straight up, like, Are you gay, that's not a safe way to do it. And that's not a safe environment to do so. So again, so that's kind of like where I grew up and how it transpired. I always knew though, I always knew something was different. And it wasn't until I moved out on my own. I graduated when I was 17. From high school, and I went, I turned 18. And then I went right into university. And I was on my own. And that's scary for anyone really, like even if you carry a lot of privilege, that's scary. And I was away from my mom, I was away from my family, I was away from a lot of my friends. And that gave me room to like, be myself, but still from 18 to 24. It took me that much time to feel not only on my own, but to be able to provide the necessities of life for myself. That way, if I came out, I wasn't in danger. I wasn't like, well, physical danger. Or if I lost people I could be okay. And that's really sad to think that like, people have to provide that for themselves in order for them to feel safe enough to come out. But that was the process for me. And when I came out, it was very liberating. It was everything I didn't know I needed at the time. And it almost opened up a new realm, in my mind, in my bundle, my medicine bundle that I call it, it opened up a new realm that kind of unfolded the medicine bag a little bit more, that there's more space here for you. And it's just so sad, though, to think our youth on reserves or anyone in the closet, or anyone not feeling safe enough to be who they are, is they're not accessing their full bundle because of society. And not just it's so sad. Like, we're missing out on so much gifts from people simply because they don't feel comfortable being who they are. And that's tough.

LeAndra Nephin  19:00

Yeah, I mean, wow, like, as you were speaking about, almost, you know, kind of navigating or doing this, this kind of negotiation around, loss, you know, if I come out, I may lose these people, or even even having to have that thought of, will I be physically safe? You know, that's heartbreaking. And when you think about our youth, you know, who who may be in the closet or who identify as Two Spirit, you know, and these are these kind of internal struggles that they're having and not even internal, it's more explicit, it's the external as well, that's telling them, you know, or giving the social, you know, cues and messages that they're not right, in some way or in some way that they're, they're, you know, flawed. And it just it is absolutely such a shame because we are losing out on these gifts. I'm in the beauty of having that diversity in our in our life and in our world. And actually kind of reminds me of a more kind of relevant issue that that I was having a conversation with my daughter, and there was a news article or a post, basically that the Ho Chunk nation were banning same sex marriage. And even in the tribal council, as they were debating this back and forth, they the language that they were using, calling them those people, we should get rid of them off of the reservation, we should put them somewhere else, you know, these kind of very, almost violent words in terms of how they're talking about, you know, our relatives, our people. And just basically kind of furthering that, that lateral violence and in the internalized oppression that seems to come up so often. But as I started to look into, I saw that this is actually not an uncommon thing, that tribes are actually doing this across United States, they're banning same sex marriage. I mean, what are your thoughts on that?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  21:06

I have a lot of thought. It just highlights how much further we have to go, how much more work needs to be done. And though it is nice to know where you stand with people, but to know your nation doesn't stand with you, is like, what you almost want, you know, this is why the suicide rate for indigenous queer kids, queer youth, queer people is so high, and the homelessness is so high. And all the social detriments of the determinants of health are impacted by these things. And they don't understand that. One thing I really disliked though, is that these nations, I'm not from the states, the EU, what is now known as the United States, so I can't speak for that experience. But I know in Canada, if you're getting funding for that queer kid, then you should provide safe space for that kid. And that it really upsets me. And this is the first time I've kind of talked about this, specifically about like nations and like the lack of simple decency, that they're giving their own youth based on these fallacies and made up belief systems that aren't ours, you know. And that's not to say those, those systems and ways those worldviews can be good for people. But to completely, you know, ignore a whole, a whole array of people in your nation simply because of who they love, or who they are not even who they love, but just who they are, is very wild to me. And again, I think it just highlights how much work needs to be done. I wish each of those leaders could understand that we're just trying to survive. We are a lot of spaces like so for me. I did go to therapy, but I also I grew up around Ceremony. Ceremony is life saving ceremony is harm reduction ceremony saves lives. So if I'm not welcome to those spaces, where else am I going to go? Like where else if therapy is not working for me, because they don't understand who I am as an indigenous person? And ceremony doesn't want me because I'm too spirit? Where do I go? And I'll tell you, you go to addictions, you go to substance use, I'm not saying every single person but that is why a lot of our safe spaces as queer people are in clubs and bars. And at least for me, when I was younger, like those were the safe spaces, because there was nowhere else to go like. And that shows I think, today in our the rates of alcoholism and addictions, and you know, substance use and house lessness and mental health crisis is and the list goes on and on. And like, I think they don't understand that, that it's not just a simple decision they take away from people, like you're taking one more thing off of the foundation that they're trying to build. And it's just wild that we have to advocate to exist, you know, it's just, it's so strange.

LeAndra Nephin  24:29

Yeah, I mean, it's damaging, it's harmful. And, you know, when you talk about even how to find a safe space to just exist, you know, and even just the rates of, you know, violence in terms of missing and murdered indigenous people and relative, I mean, LGBTQ to spirit you know, people all have high rates of of going missing and ending up murder and murdered and, and experiencing violence and these are part of the conversations that I guess for me, in terms of kind of your advocacy work, you're really pushing forward that that narrative, you know, we need to change these systems, because these systems are no longer working for our people. And so one of the things that you mentioned kind of earlier on in our, in our interview was you mentioned that you felt that you were your platform was sort of outgrowing you. What did you mean, when you were when you said that?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  25:28

I think there's a couple of ways. For me capacity, I think people don't understand that I have a full time job, which is very demanding. And that's something do, I don't really share the work I do. Like my full time job, I don't talk about it too much on Instagram, or social media, because one, I don't think work with like that. But to, I don't do the work I'm doing to share or grow from, like, grow my platform from I guess, to grow, like, I don't want to take their stories and their traumas and their experiences, and then throw it on the internet. And, you know, I do take, you know, some of those stories, the ones that resonate with me, I as we walk in life, we're always taking those seeds of medicine from other people, we're trading, we're exchanging. And that's how I see my work. So when I do hear those stories, they do sit with me, but I don't mind sharing what I do, per se, as my full time job. So for me that capacity like it outgrows me sometimes, or where I feel like I need to voice something because it needs to be set or it needs. It's relevant in the time. Like if something happens, and people message me like, have you seen this? Like, what are your thoughts, and I'm a people pleaser. So I'm always trying to do everything for everyone. And that's, I think that's what I meant by like, it's outgrown me in some ways. But in those moments, I try to remember that if people are following me to be all those things, then they're essentially waiting for me to fail. Because I will, I'll reach capacity, and I won't be able to keep up at night. So I have to hone in on myself and remind myself that it's okay to take a break. I don't need to always be producing, I don't always need to be sharing, I don't need to be everything all the time. And I actually I shared a poem that sums this up beautifully. In my point of view, I won't remember word for word because I shared it a while ago, but it was something like maybe you're not a language keeper. But you're a basket weaver. Maybe you're not a lodge keeper. But you're a Fire Keeper. Maybe you're not a dancer, but you make regalia. And essentially, you don't need to be all of the things to be gifted. You don't need to be all of the things to be indigenous. We had societies and people went where their gifts were, we didn't try to be gifted at everything, because I think we understood that that isn't, that's capitalism, like, in all honesty, that's just it's capitalism. You're trying to be everything all the time. And we're not that. So I have to remind myself that it's okay. It's okay Preston, if you're not able to speak to this, it doesn't mean you don't care. It simply means you don't have the capacity. And when I say outgrowing I think people start there's a there's a transition. I think in social media sometimes where people go from a human with feelings to there's expectations, and you have to meet them at all times. And I'm kind of like walking in between right now. And it does get challenging to navigate sometimes.

LeAndra Nephin  28:38

Yeah, absolutely. There is that constant pressure, I think, you know, in terms of accessibility, even you know, that you because you're on, you know, public profiles, or social media that, you know, sometimes people assume accessibility, you know, that we have unlimited capacity, or mental bandwidth to kind of, you know, cater to that. But I remember that post, actually, in that poem, and I shared it, and it was the most beautiful, and thoughtful poem and collection of words that I've ever read. And I've really kind of gotten an insight into kind of your heart in when you posted that, and that was an absolutely amazing poem. And it was just actually, my heart just kind of burst a little bit as you're even reciting it. Because it talks you really going into those themes of you know, clencher governance, and, you know, we all have a place in the circle, we all had roles and responsibilities to the community. I mean, we even had space for people who were cloudless, you know, and the societies that we had as indigenous peoples, you know, reconnecting to that reconnecting to ceremony, all of these, these gifts that we actually have, as you said, those seeds that we just need to water and watch, flourish and grow. So in that vein, what advice would you give to to up and coming use, or young Indigenous people who are currently struggling with their sexuality or their identity or are in the closet, or maybe are are looking to kind of have that conversation and come out. And, you know, what advice could you give to them that you feel would be important that you wish you had, when you were younger?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  30:22

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what someone would need. Ultimately, I want anyone struggling with any identity crisis, or you know, like they don't understand themselves, they don't feel that there's any work for them, I just want them to feel valid, I want them to feel seen, I guess I would tell them if if you see someone online, that something resonates, you can reach out, and I don't want to put all the expectation on the people you reach out to are going to respond. But there's help out there for you. There are people out there that love, you know, they love you, they appreciate you. There is light in your journey. And I've always said that. Many times, we don't see the light in our journey, because we're surrounded by trauma. And, you know, racism and systemic issues and barriers and challenges like just as an indigenous person, but then you make them the intersection of being a woman or being trans or being to spirit. And it just makes things more challenging. So ultimately, I just want them to know that you carry so much value, and you're needed, your nation needs you even if you don't feel that way, they do need you. And we need to move past that deficit base mindset where we always hear intergenerational trauma all the time. And I shared a lot too, because it is it's valid. But we also need to remember that we carry so much intergenerational wisdom and intergenerational stories and love and kindness and resiliency, and, you know, you carry all those things, all those amazing things you think you want to be you are like, but I get it, you know, I get that you don't always feel that way. And it's tough, but just know you belong. Wherever you are, you belong. And if you don't feel safe in a space, you can leave that space and return when you're ready.

LeAndra Nephin  32:25

Thank you, Preston. One final question. You know, my heart is just like swelling with so much pride in terms of, you know, recognizing you as a relative, you know, as an indigenous person and doing some amazing important work, particularly for our Two Spirit relatives, you know, paving the way that you know, they do, you know, they do belong, and we need you. And we need more acceptance and inclusivity in our communities. So what can we do? Or how can we support your work that you're doing

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  33:03

by supporting other people that aren't me? Because I'm okay. You know, and I think that's important, when we say that we are healed, and there's a responsibility that we need to be a voice or we need to do more for the people that aren't there yet. To make them feel seen, to make them feel heard. That's how I would want support. I'm just existing, honestly. And though I do appreciate all the nice things and praise people give me you know, I'm a body of prayers. I'm a body of community voices, I'm a body of pain. I'm a body of so many things. And we all are. And I think we just need to stop putting those things on people putting our expectations on people to be anything other than themselves. What I would like everyone to try to understand and try to wrap their mind around is a lot of our net while it's not even wrapping their mind around you. You only need to look at your nation. And there's some impact still of colonization there without Two Spirit people or without gender diverse people at that table. Healing isn't full circle, because there's a piece missing from that circle. To spirit people are space holders, I hold space for people that is my job. That is who I am. And I can make people feel safe in my space, because I can balance both energies. But insane non Two Spirit people when they're ostracized by their own people and nations, they leave. They leave their nations. So all of that medicine that that youth is carrying is gone out of that nation, and I personally think that is why a lot of our nations can heal because all of our Two Spirit medicine keepers and you know All of the ones with the gifts, not to say there's no gifted people on the reserves there is. But the Two Spirit people, the gender diverse people that care so much medicine, they're leaving. And they're bringing that medicine elsewhere. And until we welcome them back to our nations, that circle isn't complete. And I really want people to think about that. Because if you're fighting with some preconceived notion or stereotype, it's time to let it go. It really is. Because I'm not out to get anyone, someone that could be homophobic to me, I would still hold space for in some way. I would call them in if they're open to that. But we need to move past inflicting our ideologies and our expectations on people let people exist. Traditionally, indigenous people were cultures of non interference, we didn't interfere with the way someone wanted to demonstrate who they were like, we just didn't do that. So if we want to be decolonizing, then we have to be accepting of our Two Spirit kin, our gender diverse kin, or non binary kin and our trans kin. And again, I went on a little tangent, but it's just it's time. It's time for people to welcome everyone back to the circle. And not only Welcome back, but treat everyone in a circle with the same respect. And the same expectations.

LeAndra Nephin  36:18

Yeah, I mean, just the sacredness. And I think that you really elaborated elaborated on that beautifully in terms of that medicine, that to our to spirit can and relatives hold in terms of our own healing, as a community. One final question, I wondered if you could talk a little bit about adding the to spirit to within the context of MMI W, or MMI, WG MMI, WP am MWR in all these kinds of acronyms that we have, because you speak a lot about that, I wondered if you could just talk us through that a little bit more in terms of adding to spirit?

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  36:59

Absolutely. I think people get, I don't want to be respectful with this, because this is delicate, and I want to respect all those impacted. But at the end of the day, the way we collect data right now is very binary, it's men and woman, anyone in between is not existing to them. So when we see the high rates of missing and murdered for Indigenous women and girls, or men or people, there's a gap right off the right off the bat, there's a gap so that data isn't being included, or at least accurately something we also know by other research is that to us, LGBTQIA plus people have higher rates of violence happens to them at higher rates, everything really everything that can impact someone's life in a negative way, is happening to that community at higher rates. Not to take away from MMI WG women and girls like I always respect that. But we always have to be aware and inclusive of Two Spirit trends or two s plus, because they are they are you only need to turn on the news to understand that trans people are being trans women are being killed at rates that are It's so scary, but it's so it's so sad. You know, even though I am oppressed for my identity and the intersections of my identity, I'm also very privileged that I'm sis presenting and you know, like trans femme or trans women are like they're the ones to that need to be uplifted. So let me go back to when you asked like what can people do to support me support trans women? That's the most important thing to me. But in in terms of adding the twist LGBTQ QI plus to MMI WG I think people get lazy and they just like, oh, mmm, IW like, it's been a hashtag. You know what I mean? Like, it's so it's trendy. And it's like, why people need to remember that behind MMI WG our families. Our names are people that are actually impacted by this. It's not just a hashtag. It's not just a red handprint on your face. Not always, but some of that is very performative and not including two s plus two that further contributes to the ratio of our indigenous to spirit, trans people. I encourage people to in Canada, we have two s LGBTQ QI plus sub working group, and it's the MMI WG choice LGBTQI plus, and I understand that's a mouthful, but it's important national action plan the final report. So this was a subcommittee sub report onto the MMI WG report in Canada. And this has important information in it and I encourage everyone to read it look into it. And there's also the missing and murdered indigenous women girls and two spirit National Action Plan. And it's the urban path to reclaiming power in place. regardless of residency, people get really upset sometimes when I share those things. My objective has never been to take away from missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, like, outside of my social media, like that's what I do for work. So like, I do understand, and I do care. But it's really hard as a Two Spirit person when you're out every single speech and every single presentation about MMI WG and the two s's never even never even brought up, let alone given space. You know, like, again, the data just isn't there it and that is very intentional. And it's just a ratio. So I just think it's important for people to at least be aware of that and come to it with kindness, because people bring their homophobia into that, like, you add two s to it. And people are like, Oh, you're not a woman. It's like, that's not the point. Like, it's not what it's about, and people just don't understand,

LeAndra Nephin  41:02

wow, you've given us a lot of food for thought you've provided so much information. And I really hope that our listeners will look into those resources. Look into ways that we can support LGBTQ trans Two Spirit relatives. And Preston, you you've just been absolutely amazing your words, your pearls of knowledge and wisdom in the work that you do. Your writing capabilities. I look forward to to your, your journey and watching it and seeing how it unfolds. Because it sounds like it's been a beautiful journey thus far. So long you they weave the heart. Thank you.

Prestin Thōtin-awāsis  41:42

Thank you so much can ask more than a while I thank you all and then ask them and I'm grateful. Thank you again for having me and extending this invitation and providing space to a Two Spirit person. It warms my heart to know that people do care and do want to hear about these things. So thank you again, I'm leaving this with full heart and a lot of gratitude.

LeAndra Nephin  42:07

There this has been not invisible native peoples on the front lines a house on fire production. To learn more about Preston follow them on Instagram at Presto manifest zero. Be sure to check out our show notes for links and more information. This episode is produced by Victor Mako spirit Buffalo and JB Hart. Our editor is Abby friends. Research by Sarah rose Harper. Our theme song is another side by wild whispers produced by Ben Marino Ely love and Meghan Lee. This season of not invisible is produced with support from Earth rising foundation. Our Patreon producers Cathy doer and Rena Krishnan and our friends at buy me a coffee. We'd like to give a special shout out to all of our Patreon supporters, you too can become a patron by finding us at Red House series on Patreon or buy us a coffee links on our website at Red House series.com. While you're there, we've the heart I thank you all