Adrian Matthias Stevens & Sean Snyder

Adrian Matthias Stevens and Sean Snyder are indigenous dancers, Two-Spirit Artists and Cultural Consultants who are part of the North American Indigenous community that traditionally honours its Two-Spirit people. Having met on the powwow circuit, Adrian and Sean have been dancing at the ceremony since they both could walk. Now, they are on a mission to encourage a more open-minded approach to gender fluidity at powwows, allowing dancers to participate in any genre of dance they choose.

Sean is a member of the Navajo Nation and is a descendent of the Southern Ute Tribe. Their maternal side comes from the beautiful Navajo Mountain, Utah which has important cultural significance for three local Native American Tribes. Their paternal side comes from a small population within White Mesa, Utah. Adrian is from the Northern Ute, Shoshone-Bannock, and San Carlos Apache Tribes. His maternal line is Northern Ute and his father is San Carlos Apache and Shoshone-Bannock, a tribe with a unique and wide reach.

At traditional powwows, couples usually coordinate their regalia, Sean and Adrian have been using this to their advantage to express themselves at the gathering. As talented and creative individuals, each time they find themselves needing a new regalia, they have designed it themselves and make a truly striking couple. They have been featured in Vogue and even have been the subject of a PBS Documentary, describing how they educate others about their Two-Spirit culture through dance.

Now, they are determined to change cultural expectations through their love of dance. They have been making waves for LGBTQ+ rights at competitive powwows – from as recently as 2018, same-sex couples were forbidden to participate in a ‘sweetheart’s dance’. However, in 2018, Adrian and Sean became the first ever same-sex couple to participate in the dance, in which, they had been disqualified from the previous year. They have become inspirations for many other Native Americans to be comfortable with their own identity and are determined to spread this message in their talks. If you are looking for a revolutionary couple who are committed to changing the future of LGBTQ+ rights and cultural norms, look no further than Adrian Matthias Stevens and Sean Snyder.