Are gays and lesbians considered two spirit among native tribes

Instead, they included a variety of genders we now refer to as Two Spirit. In Ojibwe, for example, we have words that allow for fuller gender expression: Iikwekinazo means a man that functions as a woman, and Ininikinazo means a woman that functions as a man. These diverse descriptions predate colonization and boarding schools, and they show how the binary concept of gender was not part of our traditional ways.

It was imported by colonial settlers. In fact, our Two Spirit relatives were often revered. They held sacred positions in our societies and ceremonies. They were honored for their unique perspectives as the embodiment of both man and woman or male and female.

They were respected for the wisdom, love, and life they brought through the creative expression of their extraordinary spirits. Unfortunately, European colonization changed all that. Trauma has definitely been passed down in my family when it comes to traditional sexuality, specifically due to boarding school experiences.

Personally, I like to think of gender and sexuality in terms of The Gender Unicorn. Developed by Trans Student Educational Resourcesthis user-friendly guide can help anyone understand the full spectrum of human sexuality and gender. Sadly, however, healthy attitudes about gender and sexuality were not passed down in my family.

Truthfully, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Catholic Church after his experiences there. Yet, when my Uncle Larry his own first-born son came out as a gay man, my grandfather completely disowned him. This was the direct result of what my grandfather learned at boarding school—the rhetoric that homosexuality is a sin.

Tragically, when I was in high school, my uncle was murdered in Minneapolis. Adding to the heartbreak, my grandfather never got to make peace with his son, and my mother was devastated at the loss of her beloved brother. My uncle Larry was taken too soon from us, and I miss him.

Healing with Two Spirit and Native LGBTQ+ Relatives

I have encountered many people in the Native community and elsewhere who shamed nonconforming sexuality. In various churches, I heard people say it was a sin, and they even condoned conversion therapy. When gay marriage rights were affirmed by the U. Only just this week, my tribal nation began moving to allow gay marriage within our sovereign government.

The path to healing this painful legacy begins with acknowledging the truth about how colonization changed our values and cultures—including our traditional attitudes about sexuality and gender. Non-Native adoption of a two-spirit identity would be inaccurate, and it would constitute cultural appropriation.

Franklin Ave. Dinawe maaganinaadog! Greetings, my relatives! First Name. Curriculum Request: High School. Curriculum Request: Middle School. Curriculum Request: Grade School.