There are no closets in a tipi.(Fourth Annual Elders and Two Spirit Gathering )

A gathering of two-spirit people celebrated their unique journey through life and saw the society take its spiritual place in the circle during the Fourth Annual Elders and Two Spirit Gathering held in Edmonton on Oct. 20 to 22. It was the culmination of a three-year ceremonial process of reclamation.

The Two Spirit Society called upon Elders to remember how to be true to their spirit and reclaim their role in the Aboriginal community as spiritual leaders. The advice and teachings of Elders included sacred protocols for two-spirit people. As Leonard Saddleback, a spiritual leader from Samson Cree Nation in Hobbema, Alta. explained, the teachings about human development flowed both ways.

"I cannot even begin to tell you the things they teach me. What are we teaching people out there about our sexuality? How to wear a condom? But these people go beyond. Here they talk about before you put it on. It's about relationships and trust. How to respect men and how to respect women, the children, the grandchildren and how to respect their parents view," said Saddleback, who acknowledged how difficult it …