16 What Does “Two-Spirit” Mean?

Keywords: Two-Spirit, Indigenous, transgender, culture

As much as modern history would want you to believe, people have been breaking the Eurocentric gender binary long before the twentieth century. One such example of this departure from our modern binary is the idea of being “two-spirit” within the Indigenous community. The term “two-spirit” is relatively new within the language of first nations people, created to replace the more offensive colonizer term “berdache.” Defined by Oxford (2018) as “a person…who is recognized as having adopted a gender role intermediate between those traditionally associated with men and women”, the term berdache shows that it was a common enough concept within the indigenous community to earn its own classification for the colonizing settlers. According to Smithers (2022), the term two-spirit became the replacement term in 1990, as a way for the two-spirit youth of that generation to search “for a collective, Pan-Indian, that was more affirming than label such as ‘gay,’ ‘lesbian,’ or ‘transgender.” Since its creation, two-spirit has been defined as a more “umbrella term that captures the fluidity of their sexual identities and dynamism of gender in Native cultures” (Smithers 2022).

 This definition was an incredibly positive force for the native community, as it allowed for self-expression outside of the forced gender binary placed upon the first nations community due to years of colonization. This fact is very important as for many it was due to this enforced gender binary that would leave them feeling ostracized and persecuted by their wider community, leading some to never feel truly safe expressing themselves even within their own social life. Smithers (2022) notes that the creation of the two-spirit label also allowed native individuals to avoid and “undermine homophobic stigmas associated with labels like ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’…during the 1980s and early 1990s” Unsurprisingly these differences in gender ideals were present between the colonizers and the first nations since the begging. There are even reports dating back to the 16th century of Spanish “references to “sodomites,” hombres afeminados (“effeminate men”) and mujeres varoniles (“masculine women”) among Indigenous communities.” (Smithers, 2022)

Modern Viewpoints Regarding Being Two-Spirited 

Though the term Two-Spirit is relatively new, within the Indigenous community, two-spirit individuals have had a place within many indigenous cultures for a long while. According to Morrison, Sadika, and Morrison (2019), Two-Spirit people in some indigenous societies performed a multitude of roles such as “medicine healers…participated in traditional ceremonies…advised and guided both men and women and maintained a balanced environment in the community.”  Though those who identify as two-spirit no longer perform many of these duties, being two-spirit is just as respected of a social role today, as it was all those generations ago, despite the many major changes to the role requirements and the definition to the word itself. Within the Modern post-colonial worldview, being two-spirit allows one to embrace their first nations
*heritage while still maintaining their queer identity. Often being two-spirit is mistaken to simply mean that one is a part of the LGBTQ2+ community, and the First-nations*
 community, while this is an important aspect of it, to be two-spirit within modern culture, is to also focus on the importance of being able to represent oneself in a way that is separate from the colonial rhetoric regarding gender, while still showing respect to those who came before us that were also two-spirit. Being two-spirit is not without its difficulties though, Hunt (2016) points out that some parts of the first-nations community “are still impacted by the imposition of colonial gender and sexual norms…many two-spirit people face targeted violence in their communities” showing that deep-rooted colonizer teachings are still present within modern-day indigenous society. Some two-spirit people even feel they cannot participate in the wider LGBTQ+ community because “these services cannot provide necessary supports…due to the tendency to minimize the colonial abuse that continues to affect Indigenous communities.”(Morrison, et al 2019) Another problem that the two-spirit community faces is actually educating people on the subject of being two-spirited, many two-spirit youths feel that the current definition is taken too literally, some mentioning that this “literal definition is how most non-indigenous LGBTQ+ people understand the term.” (Laing 2021) and while inherently there is nothing wrong with this, the literal term propagates a more gender and sexuality focused role, as opposed to the term’s original purpose, which was to not only describe their sexuality but how the individual also fit into their larger social society and filled their specific social niche. Much like the indigenous community as a whole, the two-spirit community is growing and learning to adapt to modern society in a way that will allow them to continue contributing to society while still maintaining a strong connection to their own culture and heritage. 

Prominent Two-Spirit Figures

Though there are not many notable historical two-spirit figures within Canadian history, there are many contemporary two-spirit individuals who can teach us just as much, if not more, about being two-spirit within colonial Canada. One such person would be Joshua Whitehead for his book, Jonny Appleseed, which tells the tale of a two-spirited Man in Winnipeg. Often both physically and mentally abused while on the reserve, the main character Jonny decides to move to Winnipeg to escape the reservation and feel more able to express himself. Throughout the novel, we learn about Jonny’s past as a two-spirited person growing up on the reserve. As he grows throughout the book he comes to learn that the reservation is just as much a part of his identity as being two-spirited is, pointing out the often-rocky cultural ties that many other two-spirited people may face when trying to explore their own identity. The book explores themes of growing up on the reservation as a two-spirited person, as well as ideas of the fetishization of first-nations culture, and intergenerational trauma and love. Joshua Whitehead himself is also a member of the indigenous two-spirit community, which truly shows in his writing as many parts often feel all too real as opposed to events simply written to advance the plot.

Another prominent figure of interest is that of Beverly Little-Thunder, a two-spirit activist who is still active within the community today. Beverly in her youth was an active member of not only the American Indian Movement (AIM) but also the women’s liberation movement, as well as constantly being an active force for good within her community by sharing cultural teachings, assisting elders, as well as both her and her children participating in traditional Lakota dances. Unfortunately, when Beverly revealed to her community that she was attracted to women, she was labelled as a deviant and isolated from her spiritual community. Thankfully this dildn’t stop Beverly, as she went on to found the Woman’s Sundance. Through her website (https://www.kunsikeya.org) anyone interested is able to find information to participate and learn traditional Lakota practices.
 
Both of these people are powerful examples of what it means to be two-spirited, they show that to be two-spirit, one must not only be in touch with their true self, but also in touch with their cultural heritage. This beautiful synergy allows both individuals to truly embrace what being two-spirit is all about, thriving within a community that accepts and celebrates your differences not just because it’s your right to, but because you are a valued member of the community with much to teach others. 

Sources Used

J. Whitehead, Jonny Appleseed: A Novel (Arsenal Pulp Press, Vancouver, British Columbia, 2021). 

B.L. Thunder and S. Proulx-Turner, One Bead at a Time (s.n., S.l., 2016). 

M. Laing, Urban Indigenous Youth Reframing Two-Spirit (Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, New York, NY, 2021). 

S. Hunt, An Introduction to the Health of Two-Spirit People, National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health. 
https://canadacommons-ca.ezproxy.viu.ca/artifacts/1186903/an-introduction-to-the-health-of-two-spirit-people/1740027/

Morrison, M. A., PhD., Sadika, B., M.A., & Morrison, T. G., PhD. (2019). Contested Meanings And Lived Experiences Of Two-Spiritness: A Systematic Review Of The Canadian Research Literature. The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 39(1), 145-168. 
https://ezproxy.viu.ca/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/contested-meanings-lived-experiences-two/docview/2448460557/se-2

G.D. Smithers, Reclaiming Two-Spirits Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal, and Sovereignty in Native America (Beacon Press, Boston, 2022). 

“berdache, n.”. OED Online. September 2022. Oxford University Press. https://www-oed-com.ezproxy.viu.ca/view/Entry/17877?redirectedFrom=berdache (accessed December 02, 2022)