Alberta First Nation to hold first Pride event on Morley reserve
Elder to perform opening prayer at drag queen show
The Morley reserve west of Calgary will hold its first Pride event this weekend.
And according to one of the organizers, the First Nation community has been very supportive.
"It's very humbling," said Argintina Hailey, who will be performing in the drag queen show on Saturday evening at the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino.
"I wasn't sure how we were going to be perceived and how much support we were going to have. So to hear that kind of feedback and that kind of support — it means a lot to us," Hailey told the Calgary Eyeopener on Thursday.
An elder will be performing the opening prayer for the event, which Hailey believes is a first for an Alberta reserve.
She was inspired to do it after hearing about the Two-Spirit Festival in Saskatchewan earlier this summer.
Two-spirit is a term used to describe gender-variant Indigenous people in their communities.
Two-spirit pride
Morley Pride: A Drag Diva Cabaret will feature live music and performances from Alberta's two-spirit community.
"We were considered to be respected members of the Native community," Hailey said.
"Warriors in the tribe, leaders, shamans and so forth because we possessed the understanding of both the male and female spirit."
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener