Celebrated for who they are’: Hundreds gather for first two-spirit powwow

Indigenous dancers are seen at city's first two-spirit powwow put on by the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society on June 28, 2025. (CTV News Edmonton/Darcy Seaton)

The Edmonton 2 Spirit Society started its first-ever two-spirit powwow Saturday with great success.

Hundreds of people – many wearing traditional Indigenous regalia – gathered at Borden Park in northeast Edmonton to participate and enjoy the powwow celebrating the two-spirit, Indigi-queer, and queer community.

Lena Green, interim executive director of the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society said the event creates a space where the two-spirit community can show up as who they are.

“They don’t have to come in and choose if they want to dance in a feminine or masculine category,” said Green at the powwow Saturday morning. “There’s just jingle, there’s just fancy, there’s fancy shawl, there’s bustle, there’s chicken, but there is no gender.

“We want people and community to be able to just be celebrated for who they are.”

Green said the powwow is about sharing culture but also about how people can show up for the two-spirit and queer communities every day.

In previous years, the Edmonton 2 Spirit Society partnered with bigger festivals. This year, they didn’t want to be an “add-on.”

“We wanted the ceremony to speak for itself and to have its own day and meaning,” said Green, adding that they chose Borden Park so dancers could dance on grass and there would be a greater connection to nature, like with traditional powwows.

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The Edmonton 2 Spirit Society provides social, health, and cultural programs and services to two-spirit, Indigi-queer and Indigenous LGBTQ+ communities in the city. The society also increases access to public services for Indigenous trans and non-binary people while providing a community gathering space with resources.

Two-spirit is a term often used to represent various gender identities and sexual orientation within the Indigenous community.

The powwow runs until 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Borden Park.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton.