GENDER AND TRANSGENDER IN NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITION
In Native American cultures, people that we would usually call gay or transgender are known as ‘two-spirit people’
people who embody both male and female spirits. Sometimes these two-spirit people are known in anthropological literature as ‘berdache‘.
This video beautifully presents the two-spirit tradition. It emphasizes that the two-spirit role is a spiritual one, which makes it different from gay or lesbian identity, which is based on the physical and social.
Having both male and female within gives two-spirit people the ability to transcend boundaries, including the boundary between the earth and the spirit world. Thus they can provide a conduit to the spirit world. For this reason, two-spirit people were traditionally respected, and held powerful and important roles as teachers and healers.
Native American writers Sandra Laframboise and Michael Anhorn say, “Many tribes had rituals for children to go through if they were recognized as acting different from their birth gender”.
These rituals ensured the child was truly two-spirit. If parents noticed that a son was disinterested in boyish play or manly work, they would set up a ceremony to determine which way the boy would be brought up.
They would make an enclosure of brush, and place in the center both a man’s bow and a woman’s basket. The boy was told to go inside the circle of brush and to bring something out, and as he entered the brush would be set on fire. The tribe watched what he took with him as he ran out, and if it was the basketry materials they reconciled themselves to his being a ‘berdache’.”
Sandra Laframboise and Michael Anhorn have posted a detailed article on two-spirit people written from a positive gay identity. They point out the controversy between traditionalists and two-spirit people, in the post-colonial context of today’s America, and urge us all to learn from this heritage, which can enrich all of us.
An overview of historical and contemporary Native American concepts of gender, sexuality and sexual orientation. This documentary explores the berdache tradition in Native American culture, in which individuals who embody feminine and masculine qualities act as a conduit between the physical and spiritual world, and because of this are placed in positions of power within the community.
Michel Beauchemin, Lori Levy & Gretchen Vogel 1991 20 min. USA Founded in 1977, Frameline is the nation’s only nonprofit organization solely dedicated to the funding, exhibition, distribution and promotion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media arts.
Frameline Voices is a new digital initiative that showcases diverse LGBT stories and expands access to films by and about people of color, transgender people, youth, and elders.
8 thoughts on “Two Spirit People …. “GENDER AND TRANSGENDER IN NATIVE AMERICAN TRADITION”!!”
Hi there!
I assume you mustn’t have noticed it, but there is a graphic on this page with has a typographical error that changes the context of the message into something you’re not meaning to say. In the graphic that’s just above the YouTube video, ( Link: https://hrexach.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ssnative.jpg ) it currently reads, “… were thought to be SCARED and they…” but it should read “… were thought to be SACRED and they… .” You’ll probably want to replace it with a corrected version.
Glad you reposted this, Horty. Missed it in April. Very interesting historically. I viewed the complete video. This is one of the many reasons why I blog on WordPress: I learn so much and my horizons are broadened due to my open mind. The concept of “two spirits” seems so obvious and natural. Due to my reading on various topics over the years, I came to appreciate the traditions that American Indians (our Indigenous people) lived by and still live by. I thank you for opening my horizons even more!
Hi dear friend!! Good to see you .. hugs! Thx for your comment. Makes me glad bc that’s the main reason I blog … to share the knowledge I have. I have also learned a lot being here since I began. tight Latin hugs!! ❤
Hi there!
I assume you mustn’t have noticed it, but there is a graphic on this page with has a typographical error that changes the context of the message into something you’re not meaning to say. In the graphic that’s just above the YouTube video, ( Link: https://hrexach.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ssnative.jpg ) it currently reads, “… were thought to be SCARED and they…” but it should read “… were thought to be SACRED and they… .” You’ll probably want to replace it with a corrected version.
Best wishes,
Stephen
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Thanks so much … will look it up and correct. Appreciate it … peace!!
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Thanks again so very much. Went over post and corrected the graphic. It’s much better now. If you want … take a another look. Peace ….
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Throwback post …. in view of current attitudes! Two Spirit People ….. nothing new in America. This is a historical fact!
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Pingback: Thoughts for today, #201 …. “Two Spirit People”!! | It Is What It Is
Glad you reposted this, Horty. Missed it in April. Very interesting historically. I viewed the complete video. This is one of the many reasons why I blog on WordPress: I learn so much and my horizons are broadened due to my open mind. The concept of “two spirits” seems so obvious and natural. Due to my reading on various topics over the years, I came to appreciate the traditions that American Indians (our Indigenous people) lived by and still live by. I thank you for opening my horizons even more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi dear friend!! Good to see you .. hugs! Thx for your comment. Makes me glad bc that’s the main reason I blog … to share the knowledge I have. I have also learned a lot being here since I began. tight Latin hugs!! ❤
LikeLike
I thank YOU for being here!!
LikeLiked by 1 person