We Have Always Been Here | Diné LGBTQ+ & Two-Spirit Pride T-Shirt

WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE is an unequivocal declaration: Diné LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit people are not new, imported, or outside their communities. They belong to a living continuum of relatives whose presence reaches across generations. The words confront erasure while affirming identity, dignity, survival, and belonging. Diné history is inseparable from homeland, kinship, sovereignty, language, and endurance. Between 1863 and 1866, the United States forcibly removed more than 10,000 Diné people from their homelands during the Long Walk and confined them at Bosque Redondo. After years of deprivation and loss, Diné leaders secured the Treaty of 1868 and the return of their people to Diné Bikéyah. That history of survival continues within a sovereign Navajo Nation extending across portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Contemporary Diné LGBTQ+ visibility is part of this continuing story: in 2020, the Navajo Nation Council established the third week of June as Diné Pride Week and recognized LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit relatives as important to Diné life and diversity since time immemorial. The front places WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE beneath an original desert-night landscape and field of stars. The land and sky evoke continuity across time without reproducing ceremonial imagery. Six individually colored stars introduce a restrained Pride spectrum, while DINÉ LGBTQ+ & TWO-SPIRIT PRIDE names the community at the center of the declaration. “Two-Spirit” is a modern intertribal term adopted in 1990 and used by some—not all—Indigenous people to express culturally situated gender, social, spiritual, or community identities. It is not simply an Indigenous substitute for LGBTQ+. Across the back, BENEATH THE SAME SKY expands the message from presence to relationship. HONORING OUR RELATIVES • HONORING OUR FUTURE recognizes those who came before, those living openly today, and generations still to come. Printed in a softly weathered, vintage-inspired style, this front-and-back shirt is made for Pride gatherings, community events, cultural education, and meaningful everyday wear. This independent Walt & Pete® design is not an official product of, or endorsed by, the Navajo Nation or Diné Pride. Historical support: more than 10,000 Diné people were forcibly removed during the Long Walk, and the 1868 Treaty enabled their return home. Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian The Navajo Nation identifies Diné Bikéyah as extending across more than 27,000 square miles in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Navajo Nation Diné Pride Week was established in 2020, with the Council recognizing LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit relatives as part of Diné life and diversity since time immemorial. Navajo Nation Council The modern intertribal term “Two-Spirit” was adopted in 1990 and should be understood within Indigenous cultural contexts. Indian Health Service Why You’ll Love It Affirms enduring Diné LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit presence Carries complementary messages on the front and back Connects Pride with kinship, remembrance, and future generations Uses original celestial and desert imagery without borrowed ceremonial symbols Creates an informed conversation about Indigenous LGBTQ+ visibility Product Features Soft cotton or cotton-blend fabric High-quality DTG printed graphic Unisex modern fit Breathable, lightweight feel Durable, long-lasting print