What Is Juneteenth?
When Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued the order, he had no idea that, in establishing the Union Army’s authority over the people of Texas, he was also establishing the basis for a holiday, “Juneteenth” (“June” plus “nineteenth”), today the most popular annual celebration of emancipation from slavery in the U.S. Read the history of the first Juneteenth here.
Design by Neebinnaukzhik Southall, Chippewas of Rama First Nation. Colorful illustration of two-spirited Indigenous Peoples, standing next to text saying: Two Spirits are Cherished, Two Spirits are Valued, Two Spirits are Treasured.
Each week, DCYF ESIT Tribal Program Consultant Brian Frisina will provide a key topic to help support us all in getting to know our Tribal Nations partners better.
This week’s term is: A Spirit of Belonging, Inside and Out
Two-Spirit
Though Two-Spirit may now be included in the umbrella of LGBTQ, the term "Two-Spirit" does not simply mean someone who is a Native American/Alaska Native and gay.
Traditionally, Native American two-spirit people were male, female, and sometimes intersexed individuals who combined activities of both men and women with traits unique to their status as two-spirit people. In most tribes, they were considered neither men nor women; they occupied a distinct, alternative gender status. In tribes where two-spirit males and females were referred to with the same term, this status amounted to a third gender. In other cases, two-spirit females were referred to with a distinct term and, therefore, constituted a fourth gender. Although there were important variations in two-spirit roles across North America, they shared some common traits.
Learn more about being Two-Spirit, from Indian Health Service, The Federal Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Learn More
The contemporary term Two Spirit was first coined in 1990 at the third annual Native American and Canadian Aboriginal LGBT people gathering in Winnipeg. In creating the term, the founding group wanted to reflect the historical acceptance of gender-variant peoples and diverse sexual identities within Indigenous communities in pre-contact times. Watch videos and read more about the special role that Two Spirit people hold in Indigenous communities:
What does Two Spirit Mean?
Research shows that more than 150 different pre-colonial Native American tribes acknowledged third genders in their communities. And that may have been a unifying feature of different pre-colonial cultures. Read more about the renowned Indigenous figure heads in history:
Two Spirit and LGBTQ Identities: Today and Centuries Ago
Our Two-Spirit program engages in decolonizing gender roles and identities within our Native and First Nations communities. We work to restore gender balance through honoring the entire gender spectrum that exists in our communities. We work by and for our individuals, families, and communities who need safe and supportive spaces. Learn more about their work and events:
Native Justice - Two-Spirit and where the image above came from
Download for Information & Resources
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Celebrating Our Magic: Resources for American Indian/Alaska Native transgender and Two-Spirit youth, their relatives and families, and their health care providers
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Mending the Rainbow: Working with the Native LGBT/Two-Spirit Community
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A Journey of Healing: Two-Spirit Peoples Joining the Circle, Holistic Wellness and
Resource Manual
Please help us welcome Tatsuko Go Hollo the new Technical Assistance Manager on the ESIT Statewide Leadership Team!
Tatsuko holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington and is passionate about eliminating barriers to services for racially and linguistically diverse children and families. Before joining DCYF, she served as a King County ESIT program manager and led efforts to ensure stakeholder engagement informs the ways in which children and families access quality, culturally-relevant services in their home language. Tatsuko has worked as a child and family advocate in a number of capacities for more than 15 years and has specialized in health care, racial equity, gender equity, and paid leave polices. She enjoys gardening, traveling, and time at home with family and pets.
Tatsuko will assume oversight of statewide technical assistance work previously led by Adrienne O’Brien, including supervision and coordination of the Regional Technical Assistance Specialist’s (previously called Program Consultants) work, and directly supporting technical assistance for County Lead Agencies. This will allow Adrienne to focus her efforts on supporting statewide training and other work in support of maintaining a consistent, skilled field of providers.
Help us roll out the red carpet with a welcoming email to Tatsuko at tatsuko.gohollo@dcyf.wa.gov.
FYI: Tatsuko’s name is pronounced: TAH-tsuh-ko (the *ts* goes together and both letters are pronounced. Like in “tsk tsk”.)
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You are invited to register for the next Hot Topic Roundtable
This is an optional time for peer networking and learning from each other. ESIT State Leadership Team staff will be present to answer policy-related questions and facilitate the conversation.
Sessions take place on the second Wednesday of each month. The next session is scheduled for July 14. During the July session, we will focus on the Transition Conference.
Please encourage any direct service providers to attend!
July 14 | 8 - 9 a.m.
The Transition Conference
Click here to register
Topics for August, September, and October will be announced in the ESIT Weekly soon.
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.” - Margaret Fuller
Strengthening, Expanding, and Integrating ESIT’s Statewide Monitoring System
Washington’s Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) Program is looking for volunteer representatives throughout the state to help create an expanded, integrated, and effective state monitoring system. The purpose of this invitation to join in the ESIT Circle of Engagement is to recruit volunteers to participate in various levels of engagement, as we collaborate in the creation of an expanded state monitoring system.
Our goal is to obtain broad representation of diverse participants representing local, county, regional, and state interests/needs who can contribute their knowledge, time, and expertise to help the ESIT State Accountability and Quality Improvement Team create an expanded, integrated, equitable, and effective state monitoring system. This expanded monitoring system must be designed to directly enhance efforts and support practitioners as they support families in improving outcomes for infants, toddlers, and their families.
If interested, please complete the following invitation survey here.
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Join MyPeers, created by the Office of Head Start (OHS) to connect with Head Start and early childhood colleagues around the country on this and other topics. The Teacher Time community currently has more than 1,300 members who are networking, sharing, and learning from each other. Find it under "All Communities" and select the blue "Join" button.
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Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) eNotes: ECTA eNotes newsletter shares the new resources from ECTA Center as well as news items related to early intervention and early childhood special education gathered from a variety of reliable sources. Subscribe to the ECTA Newsletter.
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Washington State Health Care Authority: For updates, or to access your subscriber preferences, click here for the Washington State Health Care Authority list.
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