Two Spirits, One Beloved Identity
June is both Pride Month and Indigenous History Month, which is the ideal opportunity to highlight the Two-Spirit tradition that existed in many Native American tribes and groups in different parts of North America. If you are not familiar with the term, “Two-spirit” refers to a person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit, and is used by some Indigenous people to describe their sexual, gender and/or spiritual identity. As an umbrella term it may encompass same-sex attraction and a wide variety of gender variance, including people who might be described in Western culture as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, non-binary, gender queer, cross-dressers or who have multiple gender identities.
The term Two-Spirit originated in 1990 by Myra Laramee (Cree) at the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference in Winnipeg. It is a translation of “niizh manidoowag” or “two spirits” in the Anishinaabe language. Rather than the physical body, Native Americans emphasized a person's "spirit", or character, as being most important. Instead of seeing two-spirit persons as transsexuals who try to make themselves into "the opposite sex", it is more accurate to understand them as individuals who take on a gender status that is different from both men and women. While many modern Native people might use the terms gay, lesbian, or transgender, Two-Spirit is a term created by Native people for Native people.
The desire for a modern “umbrella” term that encompassed all of these diverse types of gender expression grew out of the many different languages and cultural traditions among Native American peoples and tribes. Among some traditions, being two-spirited was recognized as a spiritual role. Two-Spirit persons in these traditions were highly revered for having the ability to see situations from both the masculine and the feminine perspective and thus make wise decisions. Among other traditions these individuals were known as highly skilled artisans. Still others thought of them as shamans, or healers. Many Indigenous languages are verb-focused, and describe what people do rather than how they identify. In these traditions the emphasis was on what kind of work the individual performed. Those designated as having two spirits often did both the work that was considered traditionally masculine and the work that was considered traditionally feminine. Some Indigenous languages do not have terms to describe sexual identities such as gay, lesbian, or bisexual as these were not considered to be out of the ordinary and in need of specific terms or designations.
When colonists first came to North America this wide variety of gender expression was a part of many of the indigenous peoples they encountered. It is important when talking about Native American/First Nations traditions, not to lump all indigenous peoples into one monolithic group. Not all tribes or groups have positive connotations or traditions surrounding gender fluidity and in some traditions gender fluid individuals were ostracized. However, of the approximately 400 distinct indigenous Nations, 155 of them have documented multiple gender traditions. And, as I said earlier, some of those who do not have a documented tradition did not feel it necessary to make that distinction.
Of course, for the colonists who came to North America, there was a bias against gender expressions that ran counter to European established values and gender role traditions. Two-spirit persons were targeted from the beginning and often for religious reasons. Within the missions and religious schools set up to convert or “civilize” the indigenous population, two-spirit persons were forced to cut their hair and conform to gender expectations in their manner of dress. Acts of violence were not uncommon between gender fluid indigenous persons and those who sought to eradicate their way of life. To European colonizers Two-Spirit individuals were considered deviant and branded with derogatory terms like “sodomite” and hermaphrodite.”
One particular term that was introduced was the term “berdache,” a word with Arabic roots that was used to describe a slave or a boy “kept” by an older man. The use of this particular term to refer to all gender non-conforming relationships, implied that all such relationships were non-consensual in nature, the result of one person having power over another person and using that power to obtain their own gratification. A similar word appears in the writings of the New Testament, especially in the letters attributed to Paul. Many scholars believe that the Greek word arsenokoitai referred explicitly to pederastry, a man-boy relationship that was prevalent in Greek culture and also a part of some idol worship where young boys were commonly forced to serve as homosexual prostitutes in the gates of idol temples. But when interpreters came upon this word, they simply translated it to mean homosexuality, any same-sex relationship.
In both instances, a very specific term that related to one type of same sex relationship was interpreted far more broadly as a Godly condemnation of all kinds of non-conforming types of gender expression and sexual relationships. This language used around gender fluidity was another form of violence against those who now might identify as Two-spirit, forcing many to hide their gender identities and/or denounce the traditions that had been an important part of their way of life.
As Native American/First Nations communities have worked to recover traditions that have been lost because of the long-term affects of colonization, the Native American LGBTQ community has come together to re-learn their old traditions and build new traditions. The modern term Two-Spirit is a way of recovering the positive associations with gender fluidity. Geo Soctomah Neptune is a member of the The Passamaquoddy Tribe, which is a federally-recognized tribe in Maine explains, “The term was intentionally introduced by Native people with the goal of finding common ground and helping educate about traditional teachings in a contemporary context.” Neptune identifies as Two-Spirit and also sees the term as having multiple elements. They pointed out that, “what people struggle with is that they define [Two-Spirit] as a sexual orientation, a gender identity, a spiritual identity, or [having] a societal role. In reality, those four parts are not separate but exist into one intersectional identity.”
My hope for the future is that we can learn from traditions that have exhibited loving and healthy integration of all persons, regardless of gender expression, into the life of the community. My hope for the future is that we will value relationships based on how healthy and loving they are and encourage relationships where people are respected and loved for who they are. My hope for the future is that we can see each person as a beloved child of God, who created the human family in all its glory and diversity.
(The photo accompanying this post shows one of the most celebrated Two Spirits in recorded history, a Lakota warrior fiercely named Finds Them And Kills Them (Osh-Tisch). Osh-Tisch was born a male and married a female, but adorned himself in women’s clothing and lived daily life as a female. On June 17, 1876, Osh-Tish, in an act of fearless bravery, rescued a fellow tribesman during the Battle of Rosebud Creek)
