Two-Spirit
Though the term Two-Spirit is not always a term associated with all Indigenous people across America. It is a term created in 1990 at the Indigenous Lesbian & Gay International gathering in Winnipeg, Canada. The term was used under the umbrella Acronym of LGBTQ. (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer) This was put into place to defer from the offensive term Berdache. A French word used to identify LGBTQ indigenous peoples of North America before 1990. Two-Spirit was to describe the Identity of indigenous people who had traditional roles in their tribes. These roles in some tribes we’re ceremonial and social roles. They were recognized as “visionaries, healers, medicine People, nannies of orphans and care givers.” whom are now invisible to some tribes of their own and remain displaced by Western Christianity (Laframboise and Anhorn.) Their quest to gain economic superiority, geographical advantage and religious purity ended the sacred place belief of the “Two-Spirited.” The sexually uninhibited beliefs of American Indians were shamed and deemed barbaric and at god’s mercy if they did not stop immediately. (Hans Stadden) (P18)


"Our place in the Circle is just as important as any other in our community. This includes safety and protections for all!"
-Asoonax Harolds

Hand stitched quilt to honor the LGBTQ and Two Spirit that are Missing and Murdered
Culture

Gender variation a variety of other traits distinguished two spirit people from men to women, including temperament, dress, lifestyle, and social roles. Most indigenous communities have specific terms in their own languages for gender-variant members of their communities and their social and spiritual roles these individuals fulfil; with over 500 surviving Native American cultures, attitudes about sex and gender can be very diverse. Even with the modern adoption of pan-Indian terms like two spirit, not all cultures will perceive two spirit people the same way, or welcome a pan-Indian term to replace the terms already in use by their cultures. The disruptions caused by conquest and disease, together with the efforts of missionaries, government agents, boarding schools, and white settlers resulted in the loss of many traditions in Native communities. Two spirit roles, in particular, were singled out for condemnation, interference, and many times violence. As a result, two spirit traditions and practices went underground or disappeared in many tribes. Today, Lesbian, gay, Bisexual, and transgender native people throughout North America are reviving the two spirit role and its traditions. National gatherings of two spirit people have been held since the early 1990’s, and regional gatherings are held in many parts of the country.
Resources
- Strong Hearted Native Womens Coalition
- P.O. Box 2488, Valley Center, CA 92082
- Office: (760) 644-4781
- Fax: (760) 477-5993
- www.strongheartednativewomen.org
- Strongheartedwomen@yahoo.com
- Facebook.com/SHNWCInc
- The Avellaka Program's Rainbow of Truth Circle
- 22000 Hwy. 76, Pauma Valley, CA 92061
- Office: (760) 742-8628
- Fax: (760) 742-1704
- North County LGBTQ Resource Center
- 3220 Mission Ave. Ste. #2, Oceanside, CA 92058
- Office: (760) 994-1690
- www.ncresourcecenter.org
- 2-1-1 San Diego
- Free 24 Hour, Confidential phone service in 200+ languages and a searchable online database.
- San Diego LGBT Community Center
- 3909 Centre St, San Diego, CA 92103
- Office: (619) 692-2077
- www.thecentersd.org
- San Diego LGBT Pride
- 3620 30th St., San Diego, CA 92104
- Office: (619) 297-7683
- www.sdpride.org
- Project TRANS
- San Diego LGBT Community Center
- 3909 Centre St, San Diego, CA 92103
- Office: (619) 692-2077
- trans@thecentersd.org
- www.thecentersd.org
- Hillcrest Youth Center
- 1807 Robison Ave. Ste. 106, San Diego, CA 92103
- Office: (619) 497-2920 Ext. 250
- Email: hyc@thecentersd.org
- PFLAG San Diego Chapter
- San Diego, CA 92138
- S.D. Office: (619) 579-7640
- Office: (888) 398-0006
- National Office: (202) 467-8180
- info@pflag.com
- San Diego Equality Business Association
- P.O. Box 33848, San Diego, CA 92163
- Office: (619) 296-4543
- Email: info@sdeba.org
- www.sdeba.org
- GLSEN San Diego Chapter Supporting Students and Teachers
- GLSEN 110 William St. 30th Fl. New York 10038
- Phone: (212) 727-0135
- info@glsen.org
- www.GLSEN.org/chapter/san-diegocounty
- Human Rights Campaign San Diego
- LGBTQ+ Center of Riverside County
- Office: (951) 364-3305
- www.rivcocenter.org
- Temecula Valley Pride
- Office: (951) 290-0491
- info@temeculavalleypride.org
- www.temeculavalleypride.org
- The Trevor Project
- 24/7 Hotline 1-866-488-7386
- www.thetrevorproject.org
- It Gets Better Project
- PFLAG Temecula Valley
- Parents, Families, & Friends of Lebian & Gays
- 41000 Main St. Temecula, CA. 92590
- Mail: 40335 Winchester Rd. E308 Temecula, CA. 92591
- Phone: (951) 878-8052
- University of Redlands Pride Center
- Office of Diversity & inclusion
- 1200 E. Colton Ave. Redlands, CA. 92373
- Office: (909) 748-8287
- UC Riverside LGBT Resource Center
- 245 Costo Hall Riverside, CA. 92521
- http://out.ucr.edu/
- Office: (951) 827-2267
- CSU San Bernardino Pride Center
- Santos Manuel Student Union
- San Bernardino, CA. 92407
- http://studentunion.csusb.edu/centers/pc/
- Cal Poly Pomona Pride Center
- 3801W. Temple Ave. Bldg. 26, Rm. 107
- Pomona, CA. 91768
- Phone: (909) 869-2573
- http://www.dsa.csupomona.edu/pride
- The LGBT Community Center of Coachella Valley
- 1301 N Palm Canyon Dr. Ste. 301, Palm Springs, CA. 92262
- Office: (760) 416-7790
- www.thecenterps.org
- Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center
- 1073 Ross Ave. Set. E, El Centro, CA. 92243
- Office: (760) 592-4066
- info@ivlgbtcenter.com
Relevant Websites
Laframboise, Sandra and Michael Anhor. "Dancing to Eagle Spirited Society."
http://www.dancingtoeaglespiritsociety.org/twospirit.php
Indian Health Services the fedral Health Program for American Indians and Alaska Natives
http://www.ihs.gov/lgbt/health/twospirit/
Trisha Gill Minority Rights Gay Native Americans Before and after the Conquest
http://www.columbiauniversitylibrary.edu