Two Spirit History: Past and Present

Join Stephen Barrios for an educational session on two spirit people.



In honor of Missoula Pride and LGBTQ+ Pride month in June, join us at the Missoula Public

Library for a Two Spirit History presentation by Steven Barrios, founding member of the





Montana Two Spirit Society on Friday, June 3 rd at 3 PM in the Cooper Room on the 4 th floor of

the library. Through the Montana Two Spirit Society, Steven continues to educate and bring

awareness about a culture that due to colonization was almost forgotten and eliminated. For

over 20 years he has worked to educate Native and non-Native communities about two spirit

culture and the impact of HIV infection on Native communities. Since 1997, he has helped plan

and coordinate the annual Montana Two Spirit Gathering and watched it grow from a handful

of participants to one of the largest and longest running Gatherings in the Pacific Northwest

averaging 60 – 100 Native two spirits each year. Steven was recently honored with a Lifetime

Achievement Award from the Southwest Two Spirit Society in Albuquerque, New Mexico.