Two Spirit is an umbrella term coined relatively recently, encompassing unique gender identities and sexualities within the diverse cultures of the thousands of tribal nations across the so-called USA and Canada. Two Spirit exists beyond colonial concepts of what gender is. Not every queer native is Two Spirit, and not every Two Spirit native is queer.
Deconstructing gender starts with understanding that western concepts of what is male and female are colonial and bigoted. For indigenous peoples across turtle island, those we consider trans/queer today were honored community members.
This piece shows Rabbit, on the left, dancing in the traditionally feminine jingle dance style whilst sporting top surgery scars. On the right is Coyote, dancing in traditionally masculine grass dancer regalia whilst having breasts. These two are actually meant to represent me and my native boyfriend. We are both two-spirit, definitions differing because we are from different tribes, and while I have chosen to dance jingle as a man, he has chosen to dance grass as a man. We are both transgender, and in this way we break the typical gender norms of the dance styles.
Two spirit powwow dancers are all over, and find creative, unique, contemporary ways to imagine their own regalia that fits their identity. So we can heal from dance, too.
Interpret these two however you'd like. A man can dance jingle, a woman can dance grass, anybody can dance whatever style their spirit needs.
There are no closets in tipis. Happy pride to all of my fellow 2spirited natives who have had to fight to justify who they are to colonized minds who seek to place us into their own gender/sexuality boxes.
((No, Two-Spirit is not comparable to being nonbinary or bigender or anything else. Those labels exist with ideas of colonial gender norms in mind.))
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