Two-Spirit: What exactly does it mean...a personal reflection.

When we had first recieved our blogging assignments, my eyes drifted to the segment on LGBTTTQQ* perspectives and I began to formulate what I wanted to say in regards to Indigenous People. My first thought was to do a completely academic paper, as many others have done over at Rainbow Rights blog. They articulated what needed to be said about many LGBTTTQQ* rights and how social policy affects their specific group, and they focused on Two-Spirit People when it came to Indigenous perspectives. But now my thinking on this blog assignment has shifted. I see the value in academic style writing, but wanted something with more...and now I have that opportuity.
I want to speak as a métis Two-Spirit woman, to share some of my experiences, and hopefully someone can learn something along the way. I think it appropriate to share my story, as in many Indigenous Peoples' traditions, oral history and stories are how people gained information and learned about the world around them. For those that have concerns; yes, I am comfortable with doing this. There is no shame in the acknowledgement of who I am as a person and how I see things. This is one of the gifts I've been given by the Creator, and it is something that should be shared. You'll see why as you read further.
The first time I ever identified as a Two-Spirit, I was met with a singular reaction. After I had told this person I was a Two-Spirit, their response was "Wait...you're Aboriginal?" I think this is very telling of the state of affairs. LGBTTTQQ* people's rights and ideologies have come a long way in terms of acceptance in society, certianly more-so than Indigenous perspectives, rights and ideologies. The fact that many people focus on the part of me that is métis, rather than the part that is Two-Spirit... let us just say that I am usually shocked when it happens.
O'Brien-Teengs defines Two-Spirit as simply thus "an Aboriginal person who is attracted to the same sex, or both sexes, and/or is transgendered or intersexual, and/or someone who possesses sacred gifts of the female/male spirit which exists in harmony in the one person." (O'Brien-Teengs, 2008, p.8). Simply put, Two-Spirit people believe that they have both male and female spirits within them, though also realise that their body is biologically one gender.There is a flexibility in being Two-Spirit, and it is not as much about sexual orientation or preference as it is about how a person sees the world, and thusly interacts with it.
Traditionally, and prior to colonization of Indigenous People, Two-Spirit People were seen as special. They often had special status or roles, and were understood to have no boundaries when it came to crossing lines of gender roles. There have even been many well known and respected Two-Spirit People, such as Woman Cheif (Crow) and Running Eagle (Piegan). Pre-colonization Indigenous People also had names for men and wmen who identified or were identified as Two-Spirit. "The abundance of terms that we find as we study various tribes testifies to the familiarity of Native Americans with gender-variant people." (Laframboise and Anhorn, 2008). Two-Spirit People can and do exist in both genders, meaning there are Two-Spirit men and Two-Spirit women as well. When I first began to uncover the truth about myself, there was so much that was written on Two-Spirit men. When I first began to question if I was Two-Spirit or not, the availability of material always pointed sources of "Berdache", which is a Persian term applied to Two-Spirit men. While I believe that I house both male and female spirits, biologically I am female. So finding resources on other Two-Spirit women and if it was acceptable to call myself Two-Spirit was difficult at best.
While prior to colonization, many Two-Spirit People held positions of status of either gender. O'Brien-Teengs illustrates that Two-Spirit People "were visionaries, history keepers, storytellers, medicine people, artisans and specialized crafts people, landowners, heads of families and communities, mothers and caregivers, leaders and followers, hunters and warriors." (O'Brien-Teengs, 2008, p.9) It is important to note, that Two-Spirit does not and should not replace the idea and term of homosexual for Indigenous People. In other words, just because I identify as Two-Spirit, I am not Gay or Lesbian, though there are Two-Spirits who are. The idea of being Two-Spirit is one of versatility and encompases more than just sexual orientation.
Unfortunately, much of the colonization process has removed that sense of identity that comes with not only culture, but also from spirituality as well. The reserve system, as well as the residential school system, played an inter-generational role in the damage that has been done to the culture and spirit of Indigenous People. From stories of sexual and physical abuse, most students of these schools were taught "alien" concepts and traditions in the attempt to "civilize" them. With the implication of such a rigid structure and morals from Christian standards, many Indigenous People were taught to hate their own culture, to deny who they were as human beings by restricting the use of their language and customs. This in turn has affected how Two-Spirit people are now seen. Their status was once special, and now they face all forms of homophobia in their home communities, nevermind when they leave.
The results of the 60's scoop also negatively impacted Two-Spirit people. Being removed from their culture and people, from their very communities, has caused similar disconnections on identity, both sexually and physically. "For biracial children who did not even know they were Aboriginal, finding out their heritage can be a shock, a blessing, or a burden." (O'Brien-Teengs, 2008, p.10) This statement from O'Brien-Teengs hit home for me, as it was more of a shock to me to find out I had métis ancestry than it was to discover I was Two-Spirited.
In finding that there were other Two-Spirit women out there, I felt such a wave of releif. I wasn't alone, and in reading some of their words, I felt that this is how I am supposed to be. The Two-Spirit known simply as "Sharp" in O'Brien-Teeng's booklet, wrote this, and it very accurately sums up how I feel: "Two-Spirit makes more sense to me than identifying as a lesbian- the term lesbian is so wrapped up in defining us only by who we sleep with. To identify myself as a Two-Spirit means so much more- it speaks to all of me... how I relate to everyone I meet (not just women), my role in all the communities I am part of, how I do things personally, professionally and in ceremony, how I live and fit in the world." ("Sharp", in O'Brien-Teeng, 2008, p.16)
Can a non-Indigenous person can identify as Two-Spirited? That is a very difficult to navigate grey area. As a Two-Spirit, I have the ability to see both sides of the argument. That is one of the gifts the Creator has given me. On the side of LGBTTTQQ* perspectives, a person should have the choice to choose how they identify, if they identify. No other person or group of people should be able to tell another how they should identify. But on the side of Indigenous Perspectives, Two-Spirit is a term that is part of the cultural reclaimation part of healing. The use of the term by non-Indigenous people is illustrated by Re:searching for LGBTQ Health as "The use of these terms by people who are not descendants of the First Nations is considered cultural appropriation". The best thing that can be done is having an open dialogue, and keeping in mind that not all Indigenous people have chosen to reclaim a traditional lifestyle. Anhorn and Laframboise (2008) have said "While some of the Elders may speak of such acceptance of Two-Spirit individuals in the past the reality is that it is not without controversy. Although there is a rekindling of two-spirit traditional practices, the effort is not without the slings and arrows of controversy."

~Shauna


Anhorn, M. and Laframboise, S. (2008) The Way Of The Two Spirited People: Native American concepts of gender and sexual orientation. Dancing to Eagle Spirit Society. Retrieved November 17, 2011 from http://www.dancingtoeaglespiritsociety.org/twospirit.php

O'Brien-Teengs, D. (2008) Two Spirit Women. (2nd Ed.) 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations. Retrieved November 16, 2011 from http://www.2spirits.com/

Re:searching for LGBTQ Health: Two Spirit Community. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Retrieved November 17, 2011 from http://lgbtqhealth.ca/community/two-spirit.php