Pride in Indian Country: Why "Two Spirits?"

 Shiyo! Most of you have probably heard Native LGBTQ+ community members referred to by the term, “two spirit,” and you might have wondered where it came from. The phrase is a translation of an Anishinaabemowin term “niizh manidoowag,” meaning two spirits. Use of two spirit as a moniker for LGBTQ+ Indigenous people began in 1990 at the suggestion of Myra Laramee (Cree), “who proposed its use during the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference, held in Winnipeg.” The Indian Health Service describes Two-Spiritpeople in Native societies in this way: “Traditionally, Native American two-spirit people were male, female, and sometimes intersexed individuals who combined activities of both men and women with traits unique to their status as two-spirit people. In most tribes, they were considered neither men nor women; they occupied a distinct, alternative gender status.”

 

Early French explorers noted the presence and acceptance of same-sex relationships among men in the Native societies they encountered and used the word “berdache,” meaning “an intimate male friend” to describe them. The English and Spanish, though, were less charitable, referring to these same men as “sodomites.” Walter Williams wrote, “Two-spirit people were respected by native societies not only due to religious attitudes, but also because of practical concerns. Because their gender roles involved a mixture of both masculine and feminine traits, two-spirit persons could do both the work of men and of women. They were often considered to be hard workers and artistically gifted, of great value to their extended families and community. Among some groups, such as the Navajo, a family was believed to be economically benefited by having a "nadleh" (literally translated as "one who is transformed") androgynous person as a relative. Two-spirit persons assisted their siblings' children and took care of elderly relatives, and often served as adoptive parents for homeless children.” There was no stigma in traditional indigenous communities—there was respect, honor, and love. This is an awesome video tutorial that does a great job of discussing and explaining the history of Two Spirits within Indian Country. Here is a beautiful photo essay on Two Spirit people from the Pine Ridge community in South Dakota from The Guardian by Magdalena Wosinska. 

 

The differences between the treatment of Two Spirit men and women by Indigenous and European societies is stark and illuminating. It’s also a reminder of the radical decency of traditional Indian Country ways of being and living.