The Meaning of Two-Spirit Two-Spirit is an inclusive term used today by many Indigenous people. It describes individuals whose gender and sexuality resist colonial definitions of masculinity, femininity, homosexuality and heterosexuality. Indigenous languages have many terms and expressions for people we would now call Two-Spirit. Cree and Anishinaabemowin both contain multiple terms. Signification de la bispiritualité Le terme « bispiritualité » ou « deux esprits » est un terme inclusif utilisé aujourd’hui par de nombreuses personnes autochtones. Il décrit les personnes dont le genre et la sexualité résistent aux définitions coloniales de la masculinité, de la féminité, de ’'homosexualité et de I’hétérosexualité. Les langues autochtones contiennent de nombreux termes et expressions pour désigner les personnes que nous appelons aujourd’hui bispirituelles. Le cri et I'anishinaabemowin contiennent tous deux plusieurs termes. Selected Cree Terms and English Translations Quelques termes cris et leur traduction en francais Napéw iskwéwiséhot A man who dresses as a woman. Un homme qui s’habille en femme.
Queer Indigenous History In the beginning, Turtle Island was queer. Across Indigenous North America, some people lived as neither men nor women. Others were seen as combining - even transcending - masculine and feminine qualities. They performed important social roles, held knowledge, led ceremonies, reared children, married and lived in same-sex relationships. Customs related to gender and sexuality varied between First Nations. But they did not divide people into two groups of men and women based on biology. Nor was there a single moral code that condemned same-sex and same-gender relationships. That came later with Christianity and colonial settlement. Oakland Museum of California painting by George Litlechild
Love in Dangerous Time Canada's LGBT Purge (also in French)
Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg
When I was on my 9000 mi #SueWalkstheEarth roadtrip this summer (🇺🇸 🇨🇦), I stopped at the Canadian Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg. They had an exhibit on queer rights/oppression in CA and part of the display included First Nations' beliefs on gender and Two Spirits. Wonderfully done.
