<<

The Rainbow Resource Centre envisions a in which diverse sexual and identities are included, valued and celebrated as a result of our active commitment to promote and maintain dignity, human freedoms and human rights. The Rainbow Resource Centre is a non-profit, We Are Part community based charitable organization that serves as the central agency offering support, of a Tradition information, counselling, referrals, library, and

public awareness on issues related to , gender , and anti- Ongoing for all the Native communities, In many of our , before the arrival of education. along with the Two-Spirit youth, is very important Europeans to North America, “Two-Spirit” re- to our future. We believe that only when Two- ferred to the ancient teachings. Our Elders tell us Spirit People are brought back to their respected

Two-Spirit People of people who were gifted among all beings be- places as teachers, artists and healers will all Native CONTACT US cause carried two spirits: that of male and People of Turtle Island, and by extension, the . It is told that women engaged in tribal General Inquiries: (204) 474.0212 Ext. 201 of the world, begin massive healing of spirit. We begin by [email protected] warfare and married women as there were greeting one another. men who married other men. These individuals -Doe fax: (204) 478.1160 were looked upon as a in many cases and in almost all cultures they were honoured Counselling: (204) 474.0212 Ext. 201 [email protected] and revered. Two-Spirit people were often the visionaries, the healers and medicine people. Address: 170 Scott Street They were respected as fundamental components Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3L 0L3 of our ancient and . This is our guiding force as well as our source of strength. The Rainbow Resource Centre is open: This is the ancient heart of Two-Spirit People. Monday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Today, Two-Spirit People are Native people who Wednesday 10:00 pm to 5:00 pm are , , bisexual, , other gen- Thursday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm dered, third/fourth gendered individuals that Friday 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm walk carefully between the worlds and between (closed weekends and statutory holidays) the . Unfortunately, due to many of the colonizing forces and experience that Native People have gone through, the of Two- Please visit our website: Spirit people have been lost in our consciousness www.rainbowresourcecentre.org and many Native People have adopted homo- phobic attitudes that are present in today’s socie- ty. With the coming of the Seventh Generation, For individuals who want to learn more. Two-Spirit people are slowly relearning their tra- 2014 ditional roles in Native Communities. . Two-Spirit Origins LOCAL COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Two Spirited People of Manitoba The term "Two-Spirit" originated in Winnipeg, http://www.twospiritmanitoba.ca in 1990 during the third annual intertribal Cross dressing of Two-Spirit people was not al- [email protected] Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian ways an indicator of cross acting (taking on other conference. It comes from the Ojibwa words gender roles and within the tribe). Ka Ni Kanichihk niizh manitoag (two-spirits). It was originally cho- Lang explains “the mere fact that a male wears 455 McDermot Ave sen to distance Native/First Nations people from women’s does not say something Winnipeg, MB R3A 0B5 non-Natives as well as from the words Tel. (204) 953-5820, Fax 953-5824 his behavior, his gender status, or even his "berdache" and "gay." www.kanikanichihk.ca choice of partner…”. Often within tribes a child’s gender was decided depending on by their Historically, Two-Spirit individuals perform spe- Nine Circles Community Centre inclination toward either masculine or feminine 705 Broadway Ave. cific social functions in their communities. In activities, or their status. was Winnipeg, MB R3G 0X2 some tribes, male-bodied two-spirits were active about the time frame by which clothing choices (204)940.6000 or 1.888.305.8627 (toll free) as healers or medicine persons, gravediggers, were made to physically display their gender www.ninecircles.ca undertakers, handling and burying of the de- choice. ceased, conducted mourning rites, conveyers of EMAIL LISTSERVS oral traditions and songs, nurses during war ex- Two-Spirit people, specifically male-bodied peditions, foretold the future, conferred lucky (biologically male, gender female), could go to [email protected] names on children or adults, wove, made pottery, [email protected] war and have access to male activities such as made beadwork and quillwork, arranged marriag- [email protected] sweat lodges. However, they also took on female es, made feather regalia for dances, special skills [email protected] roles such as cooking and other domestic respon- [email protected] in games of chance, led scalp-dances, and ful- sibilities. Today’s societal standards look down [email protected] filled special functions in connection with the [email protected] setting up of the central post for the Sun Dance. upon feminine males, and this perception of that identity has trickled into Native society. The ac- [email protected] In some tribes, female-bodied two-spirits typical- [email protected] ly took on roles such as chief, council, trader, culturation of these attitudes has created a sense [email protected] hunter, trapper, fisher, warfare, raider, guides, of shame towards two-spirit males who live or [email protected] dress as . This can also be said for those peace missions, vision quests, prophets, and Native people have often been perceived as who are biologically female, gender male. SUGGESTED READINGS medicine persons. "warriors," and with the acknowledgement of

Two-Spirit people that romanticized identity be- As far as gender is concerned, Two-spirit people http://androgyne.0catch.com/2spiritx.htm There are descriptions of Two-Spirit individuals comes broken. In order to justify this new also associate with the term bi-gender, which http://nativeout.com/content/blogsection/1/55/ having strong mystical powers. In one account, "Indian" identity many explained it away as a involves having a separate male persona and a http://www.androphile.org/preview/Culture/ raiding soldiers of a rival tribe begin to attack a “form of social failure, women-men are seen as separate female persona. Although these terms NativeAmerica/amerindian.htm group of foraging women when they perceive individuals who are not in a position to adapt http://www.tobyjohnson.com/twospirits.html are not exactly alike, they are still closely related that one of the women, the one that does not run themselves to the masculine role prescribed by in both experiences and representation of that away, is a Two-Spirit. They halt their attack and their culture” (Lang, 28). Lang goes on to suggest Lang, S. (1998). Men as Women, Women as Men. Chang- person. retreat after the Two-Spirit counters them with a that Two-Spirit people lost masculine power so- ing Gender in Native American Cultures. University of stick, determining that the Two-Spirit will have Texas Press cially, so they took on female social roles to climb Today, the term Two-Spirit is being reclaimed as great power which they will not be able to over- back up the social ladder within the tribe. come. Sacred; it also encompasses individuals who Jacobs, S., Thomas, W., Lang, S. (1997). Two-Spirit identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. People, Native American , Sexuality and Spirituality. Chicago: University of Illinois Press