Two-Spirit is a term used by some Indigenous North American communities to describe individuals who embody both masculine and feminine spirits or who identify as having a gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation that may not correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth. It is a culturally-specific concept that emerged as a way to reclaim and affirm traditional Indigenous understandings of gender and sexuality.
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The term 'Two-Spirit' was created in 1990 at the Third Annual Intertribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian Conference as a way to reclaim traditional Indigenous understandings of gender and sexuality.
Two-Spirit individuals were often respected and held in high regard in many pre-colonial Indigenous communities, with specific social and spiritual roles.
The concept of Two-Spirit challenges Western binary notions of gender and sexuality, and represents a fluid, non-linear understanding of identity.
Two-Spirit individuals may express their identity through dress, behavior, social roles, and spiritual practices that are considered both masculine and feminine.
The experience of Two-Spirit individuals is diverse across different Indigenous cultures, and the term may not be embraced or understood in the same way by all Indigenous communities.
Review Questions
Explain how the concept of Two-Spirit relates to the anthropological understanding of sex, gender, and sexuality.
The concept of Two-Spirit challenges Western binary notions of gender and sexuality, and represents a fluid, non-linear understanding of identity that is rooted in traditional Indigenous worldviews. Two-Spirit individuals embody both masculine and feminine spirits, and their gender identity, expression, and sexual orientation may not correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth. This aligns with anthropological perspectives that recognize the diversity of human experiences of sex, gender, and sexuality, and the need to understand these concepts within their cultural contexts.
Describe how the performance of gender categories by Two-Spirit individuals may differ from dominant Western gender norms.
Two-Spirit individuals may express their identity through dress, behavior, social roles, and spiritual practices that are considered both masculine and feminine, often blending or transcending traditional gender categories. This challenges the Western binary understanding of gender, and represents a more fluid and expansive way of performing gender that is rooted in Indigenous cultural traditions. The acceptance and respect accorded to Two-Spirit individuals in many pre-colonial Indigenous communities also highlights how gender categories can be constructed and understood differently across cultures.
Analyze how the concept of Two-Spirit relates to the field of queer anthropology and its exploration of diverse sexualities and gender identities.
The concept of Two-Spirit is closely aligned with the goals of queer anthropology, which seeks to understand and affirm the diversity of human experiences of gender and sexuality, particularly those that fall outside of dominant Western norms. By recognizing the cultural and historical significance of Two-Spirit identities within Indigenous communities, queer anthropology can shed light on the ways in which gender and sexuality are constructed, performed, and understood across different cultural contexts. Furthermore, the study of Two-Spirit individuals can contribute to a more nuanced and inclusive understanding of the human experience, and challenge the imposition of Western, heteronormative frameworks onto non-Western cultures.