Puyamaangay kiyam 2SLGBTQ Always Family – Strong Hearted Native Women's Coalition, Inc.

“Two-spirit” refers to a person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit, and is used by some Indigenous people to describe their sexual, gender and/or spiritual identity. As an umbrella term it may encompass same-sex attraction and a wide variety of gender variance, including people who might be described in Western culture as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, gender queer, cross-dressers or who have multiple gender identities. Two-spirit can also include relationships that could be considered poly. The creation of the term “two-spirit” is attributed to Elder Myra Laramee, who proposed its use during the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference, held in Winnipeg in 1990. The term is a translation of the Anishinaabemowin term niizh manidoowag, two spirits. (Statistics provided by: LGBTQ2S+ Health)

"Our place in the circle is just as important as any other in our community. This includes safety and protections for us all"

-Asoonax Harolds

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

two spirit history

Adopted in 1990 in Winnipeg, Canada. In place of the French word(berdache). Two spitit describes the Identity of traditional roles in certain tribes. The sexually uninhibited beliefs of American Indians were shamed and deemed barbaric and at god’s mercy if they did not stop immediately.

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.

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.

two spirit traditions

Two-spirit individuals were experts in traditional arts - such as pottery making, basket weaving, and the manufacture and decoration of items made from leather. Among the Navajo, two-spirit males often became weavers, usually women and men's work, as well as healers, which was a male role. By combining these activities, they were often among the wealthier members of the tribe. Two-spirit females engaged in activities such as hunting and warfare, and became leaders in war and even chiefs.

"This is the first gallery exhibition that highlights the role of Two Spirit people in traditional Native American society and includes the extremely rare work of the two best known 19th Century two spirit artists, We’wha and Arroh-ah-och, along with contemporary Two Spirit artists.

Prominent in this exhibition are a Zuni ceramic bowl circa 1880 attributed to We’wha (1849 - 1896) the well-documented Two Spirit artist and a Laguna ceramic attributed to Arroh-ah-och, a Two Spirit ceramicist in Laguna also active at the end of the 19th century" (We'wha and the Two Spirit Tradition, Then and Now)

STATISTICS

In a state survey, nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ and Two-Spirit AI/ANs (29.4%) reported experiencing hate violence—a higher rate than any other LGBTQ community

Nationwide, approximately 40% of gay men and half of bisexual men have experienced sexual violence, compared to 20% of heterosexual men
75% of bisexual women and 44% of lesbians have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 35% of heterosexual women
47% of our transgender siblings and 55% of all non-binary people experience sexual assault in their lifetimes
Two-Spirit elders who have experienced discrimination report poorer health and increased physical pain and impairment
Two-Spirit identifying women face multifaceted challenges including stigma regarding their sexual orientation, exclusion from mainstream Two-Spirit discourse, and sexism from both AI/AN and LGBTQ communities (Statistics provided by:
National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging)