Understanding the Two-Spirit Identity: History, Culture, and Resistance

The label "Two-Spirit" has only been in use since the 1990s, but the concept is one that indigenous groups have identified with for centuries.
Definitions of Two-Spirit:
- It is an umbrella term that bridges indigenous and Western understandings of gender and sexuality.
- It is represented as the "2" that frequently appears at the end of the acronym LGBTQ2.
- Understandings of the term are nation-specific, with many different definitions existing across various cultures.
The term was intentionally introduced by Native people to find common ground and educate others about traditional teachings within a contemporary context.
The Two-Spirit Society of Denver provides a specific definition:
- Two-Spirit refers to "another gender role believed to be common among most if not all first peoples of Turtle Island (North America)."
- It represents a role that had a proper and accepted place within native societies.
- This acceptance was grounded in spiritual teachings stating that all life is sacred.

The term was established in 1990 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
It was proposed and affirmed by consensus at the third annual Native American gay and lesbian gathering.
The term was created as a solution to what activists and native scholars called the "problem of naming."
The goal was to make the diverse gender and sexual identities falling under this umbrella legible across both native and non-native cultures.

Definitions of gender and sexual diversity are grounded in the specific spiritual beliefs of individual nations.
Example: Lakota
- The word used is "winkta."
- It means "to be as a woman."
- It refers to "two-souled Lakota people who transgress boundaries of gender from what may be considered male to female."
Example: Danette (Diné)
- The word used is "not lehem."
- It means "those who transform."
- It refers to one of four separate genders: masculine feminine, Schoen masculine feminine, masculine, and feminine feminine.
- Each of these genders has its own specific word in the Danette language.

Historically, Two-Spirit people were held in high regard across indigenous nations that recognized the concept.
They were often considered sacred or divine.
High-status positions held by Two-Spirit individuals included:
- Matchmakers.
- Medicine people.
- Warriors on the front lines of battle.
Many Two-Spirit individuals performed roles traditionally assigned to both men and women.
Example: "huit WA" (We'wha) of the Zuni:
- Known as a "hamana."
- Took part in both masculine and feminine tribal matters.
- Served as an official Zuni delegate to Washington D.C.

Much of the written record regarding indigenous nations begins only after European contact.
Jesuit priests in the 1600s used the term "Berta Shay's" (Berdache) to describe those embodying both male and female genders.
- The term translates to "kept boy" in French.
- These writings often focused negatively on perceived "cross-dressing."
Among the Anishinaabe and other nations, "Berta Shay's" is considered inaccurate and a projection of European gender understandings.
The term "Berta Shay's" is widely considered pejorative by Native people today.
The adoption of the term "Two-Spirit" in 1990 was an act of self-determination to replace foreign, offensive, and colonial language.
European colonizers imposed several values under the guise of "civilizing" indigenous people:
- Homophobia.
- Rigid binary gender roles.
- Misogyny through the Christian tradition and residential schools.
Historically, this forced shift caused indigenous people to be robbed of their land, spiritual traditions, and way of life.
Many nations eventually came to forbid and punish Two-Spirit unions and self-expression due to these colonial influences.

In 2004, Kathy Reynolds and Don McKinley, two Cherokee women in Tulsa, Oklahoma, attempted to marry under tribal law.
The Cherokee tribe is the second largest in the United States.
This attempt sparked a convoluted legal battle with significant social and political implications.
Although they were initially granted the right to marry, the decision to issue a license was challenged.
This led to a tribal law declaring that a union must be between a man and a woman.
The law was eventually overturned in 2016 following a wider cultural shift within and outside the Cherokee Nation.

Many Native people are returning to Two-Spirit traditions to heal from injustices caused by the American colonial project.
Organized events honoring Two-Spirit identity include:
- 2011: The first known U.S. Two-Spirit powwow, organized by the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits.
- Subsequent powwows in Montana and Kansas.
- March 2017: The Gathering of Nations (the largest powwow in the U.S.) honored Two-Spirit people during its grand entry.
The Two-Spirit identity is described as resilient and precious, surviving centuries of prejudice and colonial violence.
These traditions live on through Native youth, elders who preserved the traditions, and others in between.

The term "Two-Spirit" is not a "poetic way for non-native LGBTQ people to express themselves."
A specific warning is issued against cultural appropriation by non-natives (mentioning Jason Mraz as an example).
It remains a sacred tradition of the first peoples of Turtle Island that all inhabitants should respect and understand.