The #Two-Spirit Journal is excited to share the fifth installment in a series where Two-Spirit people across this land personal share their personal observations and reflections of the current Covid-19 pandemic.
In this installment, you’ll be hearing from Jessy Dame, a brave and courageous Two-Spirit working on the frontlines in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and also from Duane Gastant’ Aucoin, a Two-Spirit cultural and linguistic leader for his Nation and people and is the Yanyedi member of the Teslin Tlingit Council. Both are both forces to be reckoned with in their respective domains and the Two-Spirit community and movement is richer because of their work, leadership and stewardship.
The Two-Spirit Journal again encourages and welcomes submissions from any reader who wants to partake in this series, send your responses or questions to [email protected]. Two-Spirit Journal thanks everyone who has already answered this call and has sent in their responses – Jessy was the reader who sent the video submission that is posted/shared below. Keep the responses coming in, and they will be posted!
Remember keep safe! As Gayle Pruden stated so beautifully in second installment of this series, “Praying, singing, dancing and laughing are my medicine and washing my hands, not touching my face, practicing physical distancing and finally staying home if I’m sick or if I possibly came in contact with Covid-19!”
Jessy Dame is proud Two-Spirit, gay, Métis Registered Nurse doing his Masters of Science in Nursing at UBC. His parents are from Manitoba, both Treaty 1 and 2 Territories. Jessy did his undergraduate degree at Thompson Rivers University and has been working as an RN for 5 years within Neonatal/Postpartum health, as well as, within remote communities on the coast and within northern British Columbia. He currently works as a Community Health Nurse within Vancouver Coastal Health Authority in downtown Vancouver.
Duane Gastant’ Aucoin is a Wolf/Yanyedi member of the Teslin Tlingit Council and recently returned his home from Vancouver, BC. Duane is a talented Two-Spirit and award-winning performance artist, writer, director and producer. He received training from his elders as the lead singer/drummer/dancer for the Deslin Khwan Dancers in the Yukon and has performed with them throughout Canada and the US since 1996. In 2007 he was elected the International Two Spirit Male Warrior at the International Two Spirit Gathering in Saskatchewan. His most important work continues to be supporting his elders in his community of Teslin, YT to help bring back his and theirs Inland Tlingit Language and Culture.
Maa sa yee yati, how are you?
Covid-19 has been quite the wakeup call for me and the world. Mother Earth had been warning us for a long time to look after her and one another but we didn’t listen and continued our selfish ways until she finally said…ENOUGH!
But don’t get me wrong…I don’t believe this is a “punishment” like in the Old Testament. I believe this is a “time out in the corner,” so we can reexamine our lives and ask ourselves…what’s really important?!
It’s not having the best car or truck. It’s not making the most money and it’s definitely not who we think we are.
What’s important is the health of Mother Earth & of our human family. It’s all connected and if one is hurting then we’re all hurting. We’ve forgotten this because we’ve been too busy distracting ourselves with all our worldly concerns & priorities.
This has been a real opportunity for us to hit the reset button because we can’t continue on as we were. We’ve been forced to do this now & look at the benefits that accompany this horrible situation. Mother Earth is getting healthier because our economies are getting weaker. We’re also getting stronger because we’re focusing on our well-being and the well-being of one another.
It’s amazing how a simple little virus could change the world by grinding it to a screeching halt…before we slammed into the wall of our own destruction!
Many people are going to get sick and some may even die with this as many have already. But we must honour them by not wasting this opportunity to change ourselves and the world for the better!
Our Elders have warned us about this for many years now. That there will come a time when everything in our modern world will fall apart and life will get very tough for us to survive. But it’s how we respond to this that’ll define whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.
With the Creator’s help and the help of our Elders, who have gone before us, we can get through this! With us helping one another and changing our ways for the better will we ensure that the generations coming after us look back and see the strength we had to do the right thing by putting aside our petty differences and coming together as one family to ensure their survival!
Yi gu aa yax x’wan ax kaani yan ka ax xoni yan! Do your best my in-laws & friends!