SAVE THE DATE: FEBRUARY 10, 2024, 13th Annual BAAITS Two Spirit Powwow
San Francisco, CA. On Saturday February 10, 2024, the 13th Annual Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) Two Spirit Powwow will be held at Fort Mason-Festival Pavilion, San Francisco, California, from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM.
BAAITS Powwow Committee Co-Chairs Dr. Jessica Gutierrez Masini, Tzapotl Flores J. Saravia, and Bridie Johnson welcome attendees to the 13th Annual BAAITS Powwow-the first established and largest public stand-alone Two-Spirit powwow in the world. This year, we are commemorating BAAITS's 25th Year Anniversary!
At our powwow, all Two-Spirit, IndigeQueer, and TG/GNC LGBQIA+ people and their accomplices from all over the U.S. and Canada get a chance to come together to celebrate Native culture, build community, and express themselves. Doors open at 10am, Grand Entry is at 12:00 PM. This event is free and open to the public, although donations are welcome to ensure production of future BAAITS TS powwows. This is a sober event and drugs and alcohol are prohibited.
Powwows are intertribal social gatherings, usually on weekends, between Natives and non-Native peoples that celebrate Native American cultures, and centered around dance, songs, food, and oral histories. Last year the event welcomed more than 4,000 people and an even larger crowd is expected this year. Vendors will be on site selling frybread and other delicious favorites. Native art and jewelry, and other crafts. This powwow features several hours of ceremonial honor dances, and contest dances; all powwow dancers and drums are welcome.
"Two-Spirit" is a Native American term for people with both female and male energies. Two-Spirits may (or may not) also identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or gender-non-conforming. Traditionally Two-Spirits often held-and many still hold- honored positions in their Native American and First Nations communities. "Two-Spirit" is an intertribal term-it is rooted in the Anishinaabe term describing such individuals: "niizh manidoowag." This translates literally as "two spirits"- embodying both the feminine and the masculine in all of us.
Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) is a community-based volunteer organization offering culturally relevant activities for Native American Two-Spirits and IndigeQueer, TG/GNC LGBTQIA+ peoples and their accomplices.
The BAAITS Powwow is an all-volunteer-based annual event. Please consider supporting BAAITS efforts to celebrate and honor our Two Spirits people. www.baaits.org/donate
For more information, please visit the BAAITS website: https://www.baaits.org
