Indigenous people & Two Spirited Concepts

The McGill University project interaction (2011) defined the term Two Spirited as “Being given the gift of two-spirits meant that this individual had the ability to see the world from two perspectives at the same time.”  (Para 2).  The concept of being two-spirit is one that I am personally not familiar with, although I am myself indigenous, I feel the need to speak of this concept because in recent years more indigenous people are identifying with being a part of the two-spirit and LGBTTQ*. I feel that this is significant because for so long the LGBTTQ* have been marginalized and oppressed for not only their sexual orientation but their identity. I feel that more education is needed for those who know very little about the concepts of two spirited and the LGBTTQ* community because part of the reason for ignorance is little knowledge, I feel we tend to criticize what we know very little about.

In recent years the term Two Spirited has been used to describe Aboriginal people who identify with being Gay or Lesbian, but not everyone who identifies as being Two Spirited identify with being Gay or Lesbian (Slutchuk, 2002). It appears to me that being two spirited is more than just identifying your sexual orientation but it is a part of your identity as a whole. Due to colonization and assimilation the term Two-Spirited has been distorted and as a result prejudicial and stereotypical views have been set in place that has had negative impacts such as violence and death (Slutchuk, 2002).  Walters, Horwath, and Simoni (2008) state “Within the last century, American Indians have endured a succession of traumatic assaults on their cultural and physical well-being and they continue to disproportionately experience violence and trauma” (p.134). It is evident that indigenous people who are in the LGBTTQ* community are facing more marginalization due to ignorance which to me can sometimes be interpreted as a misunderstanding to what is unknown. According to Slutchuk (2002) “The confusion of the term can be traced back to the arrival of the Europeans in north America and their misinterpretation of the people they met” (p. 4). It is no wonder why racism, discrimination, and marginalization continue to plague indigenous people because these misinterpretations took over the thinking and continue to influence current generations and their ideologies of indigenous groups. Education and learning is one factor to help end the violence’s and trauma this community faces. The history of indigenous people has been a hardship to say the least but indigenous groups continue to be resilient and strive for equality , and I feel that two spirited and indigenous people that identify with being in the LGBTTQ* community are working toward equality and will one day get the respect they deserve.

According to Slutchuk (2002) “Historically, two-spirit people were spiritual leaders, matchmakers, visionaries, artisans and role models for the rest of the community” (p. 1). It seems to me that those indigenous people who were two spirited were respected and valued for their positions in the community. The negative influences that are derived from European ideologies have negatively impacted the indigenous LGBTTQ* community which has lead to trauma and violence’s. Through processes of education and cultural sensitivity professionals and non-professionals need to take responsibility to help change policies and attitudes toward the LGBTTQ* community. Educating  those who have little understanding of LGBTTQ*  that perpetuate the negative ideologies and add to the violence and trauma can help to end what this community faces and lead to equality for sexual orientation, race, gender and ultimately a person’s identity.  -Danielle

References:

 

Karina L. Walters, Pamela F. Horwath & Jane M. Simoni (2001):

Sexual Orientation Bias Experiences and Service Needs of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,

Transgendered, and Two-Spirited American Indians, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social

Services, 13:1-2, 133-149 retrived from http://www.tandfonline.com.proxy2.lib.umanitoba.ca/doi/pdf/10.1300/J041v13n01_10

McGill project Interaction. (2006, August, 22). Two Spirited People. Retrieved from             http://www.mcgill.ca/interaction/mission/twospirit/

Slutchuk, Rishona Judith (2003).  The perspective of two-spirit Aboriginal people. M.A.

dissertation, The University of Manitoba (Canada), Canada. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from

Dissertations & Theses @ University of Manitoba.(Publication No. AAT MQ80038). Retrieved

From

http://proxycheck.lib.umanitoba.ca/libraries/online/proxy.php?http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb

did=766465321&sid=2&Fmt=6&clientId=12306&RQT=309&VName=PQD.