The poster you see above is simple yet elegant in many ways. Firstly, the aesthetic is basic – it’s clearly handwritten in marker. The text is a little slanted, the illustrated Thunderbird at the top slightly askance. It’s in black and white – straight to the point. Here is the thing we are doing, here is when and where it is, here is who is hosting it.
But there’s something a little deeper to it than just the look. This poster is an invitation to a “Tea and Bannock” social gathering hosted by an Indigenous-run LGBTQ+ group local to Tkaron:to (Toronto). Tea and bannock – a simple but inviting menu. Tea is almost ubiquitous all over the world. People have been boiling leaves in water for many centuries, even as far back as 2700 BC, as legend tells. Bannock, on the contrary, is a food specific to Indigenous people of Turtle Island (North America). It came here from elsewhere, but many Indigenous people agree that bannock is an Indigenous food. In concert, however, these two edible items construe a different meaning that reflects the nature of Indigenous gatherings and the idea that community and activism don’t always have to involve grandeur and festivity. Sometimes, you can get together with your queer Native friends and just have some tea and bread, and that’s all you need.
Continue reading “The Revolutionary Act of Enjoying Tea and Bannock”