Last fall, Montréal Pride announced to its partners that the August 20, 2017 Parade will be led by a contingent of Indigenous Peoples. Moreover, a Mohawk elder woman will preside with a traditional prayer and ritual during the inauguration ceremony of the new site, Parc des Faubourgs, which is located on unceded territories of the Kanien’keha:ka (Mohawks). Pow-wow Dancers will also be on hand to share their culture with us.
The national conference on LGBTTIQA2S human rights will be launched and closed with ceremonies officiated by Indigenous Peoples representatives. This conference will also explore the concept of two-spirits along with workshops on Indigenous Peoples/ LGBTTIQA2S intersectionality. Further announcements along these inclusive lines will follow, such as the unveiling of our Grand Marshals.
Canada Pride Montréal 2017 festivities are inclusive and open to all, whatever their sexual orientation, identity or gender expression, their ethnic origin, their age, race or beliefs. A great deal of effort and care is put into ensuring that the programming will be a reflection of the concern for inclusion and representativeness so that all communities may identify, starting with the Indigenous peoples.
“We must learn from our past mistakes and thus mark a turning point with those difficult events of our history to make sure they are not repeated. At Canada Pride Montréal 2017, it is our strongest wish and we are taking all the means at our disposal to achieve it,” says Montréal Pride President and founder, Éric Pineault.
