Yá'át'ééh (Hello) I am Sean Snyder, I go by They/Them pronouns. I am an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, as well as a descendant of the Southern Ute tribe. My maternal side comes from Navajo Mountain, Utah and my paternal side from White Mesa, Utah.
Mic (Hello) I am Adrian Stevens, I go by all male pronouns. I come from the Northern Ute, Shoshone-Bannock, and San Carlos Apache Tribes. My Mother is Northern Ute, and my Father is San Carlos Apache and Shoshone-Bannock. I was born and raised in Northeastern Utah on the Uintah & Ouray Indian Reservation.
Sean and Adrian have been raised in the pow wow circle since they could walk, and have earned several championship titles in their dance categories. Both of their families participate in pow wows all across Indian Country and have made a lot of friendships that spread all across the U.S. and Canada. Some of you may recognize them from their short documentary “Sweetheart Dancers”, a short 15 minute film highlighting when they were disqualified from a Couples Contest in 2017. This film has traveled to many different film festivals, including Lubee Film Festival where it won ‘Best Short” and OUTFest LA for another “Best Short” award.
They have since gone on to bring more recognition to the Two Spirit Community with their featured articles in People Magazine, Indian Country Today, Powwows.com, Vogue, CNN, and Human Rights campaign and many more.
Most recently Sean and Adrian have worked on campaigns with Nike, Skyy Vodka and two OUT Magazines editorial. Also winning several ribbons for their beadwork at the 100th Annual Santa Fe Indian market in 2022.
This couple has traveled extensively throughout Indian Country Speaking at higher education events, including a keynote for the Human Rights Campaign. Sean and Adrian are thankful for their supporters that encourage them to do their advocacy work, and all the Two Spirit allies that create a safe sacred space for these events to take place.
“Adrian Stevens and Sean Snyder have been dancing at powwows since they could walk. "Powwow has always kept my culture relevant in my day-to-day life," says Stevens, who hails from Fort Duchesne and is of the Northern Ute, Shoshone Bannock and San Carlos Apache tribes. "It's always brought my family close together and it's something I was raised doing."
Spending much of their time on the road, the Two Spirit couple met on the powwow circuit eight years ago, and their participation in "Sweetheart Specials"—dances meant specifically for couples and where two-spirit pairs are not commonly seen or even forbidden from participating—has propelled them to become activists for the two-spirit and LGBTQ communities. Although Stevens and Snyder, who grew up from Iowa, and is of the Navajo and Southern Ute tribes, won first place at the University of Utah Sweethearts Special in April, they were disqualified from the San Manuel Band of Indians powwow in California in October 2017 simply for identifying as LGBTQ. In years past, they say, that powwow banned same-sex couples from dancing together, but in 2017, that specific rule was not present on any of the powwow advertising materials, so Snyder and Stevens decided to go for it. They practiced their routine for a month and a half and handmade regalia based on their Ute traditions, but when they arrived at the registration area, the Sweethearts rules stated that all pairs must consist of a man and a woman.” -SLC Weekly Pride Issue
Adrian Matthias Stevens
Photo by Ceylon Grey Imagery
Sean Q. Snyder
Photo by Ceylon Grey Imagery