June is a time when two important observances coincide in Canada: National Indigenous History Month and Pride. This month, and every month, provides an opportunity to honour and recognize the profound history, heritage, resilience, and diversity of Indigenous peoples, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Additionally, it is a time to celebrate and advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, which encompasses the Two-Spirit community, a term used by Indigenous peoples to describe individuals who embody both male and female spirits.
Teddy Syrette, Ozhawa Anung Kwe/Yellow Star Woman (they/them), is a Two-Spirit and First Nation Anishnabe and mental health expert from Rankin Reserve of Batchewana. Teddy holds a diploma in Social Service Work – Indigenous Specialization from Sault College and is recognized as a fierce advocate for both the rights of Indigenous people and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. An influential community figure and thought leader, Teddy has brought their knowledge and expertise to numerous audiences, including speaking to children at Sault-area schools, facilitating workshops for the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, and as a panelist at an Indigenous Knowledge Gathering at Humber College.
Through storytelling and personal life experiences, Teddy explains the history and importance of the term Two-Spirit and offers knowledge and resources essential for fostering a more inclusive and respectful workplace culture for those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+.
Embracing Two-Spiritedness: Teddy’s Journey
While Teddy says that over time, there has been an increase in discussion on gender diversity and sexual orientation from a First Nations or Indigenous lens, understanding and embracing Two-Spiritedness has at times been a challenging journey.
“I was bullied as a child for being too different from the other kids. I was effeminate enough to be called derogatory names by my peers and family members. Outside of the home, I was brown enough to be treated differently because of my skin colour,” says Teddy. “Constant and regular bullying reprograms the entire being of a person, especially at a young age. It manifested into a decline in mental and emotional health and an increase in social isolation.” Teddy says that this “impacted my physical health as a teenager, which put me on a continuous journey of care and wellness.”
“[I] got involved in theater when I was 15,” says Teddy. “[It] really helped me find myself through storytelling and writing, affirming who I was.”
“[Then,] when I was in my 20s, I was a narrator for an Indigenous theater show in Garden River, Ontario. I was asked if my character was male or female and I didn’t know the answer,” says Teddy. “The producer introduced me to this term called Two-Spirit. She explained that Two-Spirit was a more inclusive and holistic term and suggested that I look into it.”
Two-Spirit is a term created by Elder Myra Laramee in 1990. “[It] means having a balance between maleness and femaleness. In Anishinaabe teachings, everybody or everything is given a spirit, and within that spirit there’s a masculine and a feminine part,” says Teddy. “A deeper-rooted meaning of Two-Spirit is having a connection to ourselves, the community and with Creator. In previous histories and teachings on roles for Two-Spirited people, many were conductors of ceremonies, Knowledge Keepers, Elders or Medicine People.”
Asking for help
Emphasizing the significance of personal worth, as a mentor and advocate for many individuals, Teddy conveys to others their value and the necessity of assisting those in need. “When others come to me struggling or questioning aspects of their identity, I try to remind them of a simple teaching I received when I was in elementary school: the Creator doesn’t make junk. The Creator provides us with purpose, gives us gifts that make us unique, and that’s what makes us different from everyone else,” Teddy says. “The Creator also gives us helpers along the way, and we don’t know who those helpers are until we find them, or until we’ve asked them for their help.”
Helpers “can be parents, grandparents, family. I remind them that help can also come through chosen family. Social workers, teachers, nurses, the Chief and Councils and Elders. No matter how different they are, what their story looks like, they will be there to help and understand you. When you ask for help, you also might find that you need more guidance, and you can always ask someone else.”
Teddy reminds us that:
- for a 2SLGBTQIA+ person, having one ally or one person to affirm them is showing love.
- showing kindness on a regular basis is harm reduction and supports suicide prevention; and
- it’s important to be kind to oneself when doing this work. Be kind when you’re trying to unlearn things about gender or unlearn things that you believe about other people.
The importance of education
Teddy frequently engages in discussions with children and teens regarding gender identity and shares the lessons imparted, and the children’s reception of Teddy’s words.
“Because I identify as Two-Spirit and gender fluid, how I express my identity looks different each day,” says Teddy. “Some days I’ll wear ribbon skirts, makeup or jewelry. Other days a skirt or a sweater, no makeup and an earring. Those little things are good icebreakers to have, especially when working with youngsters and children. When I am speaking with children, I see their eyes looking at my skirt and I’ll ask, ‘how many folks are asking themselves why that guy is in a dress?’ and all these little hands go up. Then I go into telling them about my name and ask what they think Two-Spiritedness means.” Teddy says that “it is important to have that little teaching at the very beginning of discussions.”
In workplaces, Teddy recommends a few strategies to foster education and promote a more inclusive and respectful workplace environment for 2SLGBTQIA+ employees and colleagues:
- Actively explore and advocate for professional training opportunities, such as conferences or gatherings. These opportunities should apply to allies or those within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
- Participate in ceremonies, receive cultural care, or consult with Elders. This provision should equally extend to 2SLGBTQIA+ peers and staff by attending a conference or pride as a representative.
- Share resources and education from events with the workplace.
- Develop procedures and policies in the workplace and inform employees of their protective rights.
Teddy points out that sharing a poster in the workplace or having names and pronouns in an e-mail signature does not communicate that there is an awareness with everyone. Training for all is essential.
To support those who are inquiring or thinking about transitioning while working, Teddy says employers should “provide clear communication outlining all the supports available, including time off, and if relevant, benefits and what may be covered by insurance.”
Being an ally
When it comes to allyship, Teddy adds, “an ally relationship is not a title that you give yourself. It is a title that is given to you by the community that you’re advocating and providing allyship for. That allyship is not a title that you put on a button or poster at your 9-to-5 job.”
Teddy remarks that for allies, there is a choice to engage in the work on any given day; however, individuals who identify as queer, trans, Indigenous, or as people of color do not possess the privilege to disengage from their identities. Furthermore, Teddy emphasizes the necessity for allies to embrace discomfort, as true allyship involves taking risks on behalf of others, both in their presence and absence. It is during these moments that the authenticity of advocacy is truly challenged and demonstrated.
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About Teddy Syrette
O-zha-wa A-nung Kwe/Yellow Star Woman (Teddy Syrette) is from Rankin Reserve of Bat-che-wana First Nation of the Anishnabek, and currently lives in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Ozhawa is a public speaker, event organiser, community developer, artist and drag queen. In 2021, they were honoured with the title of Two-Spirit International Warrior. In 2023, Teddy was awarded the Indigenous Professional of the Year Award by the Sault Ste Marie Chamber of Commerce. Since 2022, they have curated, organised and hosted several drag shows under the stage name Bette U. Wanna of Batchewana. Teddy is the founder and sole proprietor of Two-Spirit Anishnabe Storytelling & Advocacy and a founding member of the Two-Spirit Organising Committee of Bawating.
Learn more about Teddy
- Teddy Syrette | 2-Spirit Anishnabe & Mental Health Expert
- Teddy_2Spirit on Linktree
- Teddy Syrette chosen to receive peace prize – Sault Ste. Marie News
- ozhawaanung.com
- 2SLGBTQQIA+ Sub-Working Group MMIWGSLGBTQQIA+ National Action Plan Final Report
Read more about fostering inclusion:
- Council Chair Kristine Parsons on fostering workplace environments where all belong
- Celebrating Pride Month with Cora Payne RECE
- Resources for RECEs to learn more about Pride and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
Related College resources:
- Practice Guideline: Diversity and Culture
- Practice Guideline: Child Development (in particular, sections 2, 4 and 5)
- Practice Note: Beliefs and Bias