Fireweed Kinship Society
Fireweed Kinship Society is a non-profit based in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ
amiskwaciy-wâskahikan, an area also known as Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Our purpose is to support Indigenous gender- and sexuality-diverse youth and their kinship relations, building connections to language, culture, ceremony, and land through intergenerational land-based learning and community.
Fireweed Kinship Society supports the work of tapahtêyimôkamik to co-create rites of passage for Indigenous 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth and their kinship relations. We also support okimaw kihêw mêkwanak to create supportive spaces for parents, family, and friends of Indigenous 2S/LGBTQ+ youth.
tapahtêyimôkamik
the humble lodge
tapahtêyimôkamik is a exploring how we can co-create inclusive rites of passage with Indigenous 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth.
We aim to nurture the spirit fire that exists within each of us to learn and embody our kinship roles and responsibilities.
Folks join us at many different life stages, from awâsis (child) to Elder, from being raised in culture to reconnecting for the first time.
We gather monthly to learn the laws of the land through ceremony, language, and land-based learning including Indigenous understandings of diverse sexualities and genders.
Our largest annual event is the Two-Spirit Fast Camp. To prepare to fast, youth, young adults and families have participated in activities such as nêhiyaw understanding of diverse genders, beading, feast protocols, plant teachings, sweat lodges, naming ceremonies, making moccasins, cooking lessons, learning about natural laws, nêhiyawêwin (Cree language) lessons, and outdoor skills.
okimaw kihêw mêkwanak
formerly Indigenous PFLAG
okimaw kihêw mêkwanak (OKM) offers a supportive space for parents, family, and friends of 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth who want to practice traditional kinship systems from nêhiyaw and Indigenous worldviews.
OKM was co-founded in 2015 with Roxanne Tootoosis, Lana Whiskeyjack and James Knibb-Lamouche. OKM was formerly known as Indigenous PFLAG or Indigenous Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
OKM's current initiatives include building connections to Indigenous 2S/LGBTQIA+ youth and families and other youth-serving organizations, and developing urban Two-Spirit youth programs.
Activities
Culture and Ceremony
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nêhiyaw understanding of diverse genders
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Feast protocols
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Sweat lodges
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Naming ceremonies
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Walking in beauty
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Moccasin teachings
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2-Spirit humour and joy
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Tobacco teachings
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Natural laws
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nêhiyawêwin (Cree language) lessons
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Hand games
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Dogsledding
Reclaiming Roles and Responsibilities
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Beadwork
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Moccasin making
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Cooking
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Self-Defence
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Storytelling
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Exploring wisakacihowin (Trauma) and Indigenous Trauma Informed Practices training
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MIndfulness, meditation, and breathing workshop
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Outdoor skills
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Firekeeping
Two-Spirit Fast Camp
The Humble Lodge hosts a Two-Spirit fasting camp for 2SLGBTQ+ Indigenous youth and their families in Treaty 6 territory. This rite-of-passage ceremony acknowledges the transition from childhood to adulthood in a way that is inclusive of Indigenous youth and families of all gender and sexual identities. The fasting camp has been held annually since 2024 and has already doubled in size. Held on donated land near Pigeon Lake, the gathering is community-centered, with all participants contributing to the preparation of the ceremonies. Fasters prepare individually from fall through summer, culminating in the breaking of their fast with a feast shared among friends, family, and community. Some older participants, who did not have the opportunity to take part in a rite of passage during their teenage years, have also participated. This rite of passage is intended to introduce young Indigenous fasters to miyo-pimâtisiwin, the nêhiyaw (Cree)) concept of living a good life.
Our Board
All members of our board are Indigenous and Two-Spirit, Queer, and/or parenting Indigenous 2S/LGBTQIA+ young adults.
Chair
Dr. Lana W
Vice-Chair
Amanda A
Treasurer
James K-L
Secretary
Persephone W
Director-at-Large
sakâw l
Youth Representatives
Beth W & Ruben Y
Contact Us
