The Two Spirit Identity By Sal Hill Being two-spirit in a colonial society is a unique and fulfilling identity to embody. The beauty, spiritual connectivity, and power felt through de-colonizing one’s gender and sexual expression are experiences that I would not dare trade for anything. It is often asked what does it mean to be Two-Spirited exactly? What are the emotions and hardships felt by two-spirit folk? What purpose does such a label play when there are already so may pre-existing terms? First, lets start with brief definitions and historical context. The label itself is a contemporary one, first established in the 1990’s by primarily LGBTQ+ Indigenous folk. The identifier was used to replace other terms that were often considered derogatory or reductive, and by using this term was an act of active de-colonization. The labels that were created by colonisers could not quite grasp the unique spiritual and cultural nuances regarding gender and sexual expression that is experienced by Indigenous folk. Two-Spirit is a Pan-Indian term that means someone who views the world in both a masculine and feminine light, and by being able to access those spiritual connections to various gender expressions one can fulfill important cultural rolls. This is an incredibly sacred cultural practice in many First Nations communities. Pre-contact with colonizers, those who would have been considered Two-Spirit were considered sacred for their profound connection to love and gender expression and thus were given leadership rolls within the communities. The purpose for creating the language was so it could be used as an umbrella term for Indigenous people to use as a sexual, gender as well as spiritual identifier. It was to embody
Supporting London’s LGBTQ2+ Community
Teresa Armstrong MPP London—Fanshawe 519-668-1104 tarmstrong-co@ndp.on.ca
Terence Kernaghan MPP London North Centre 519-432-7339 tkernaghan-co@ndp.on.ca
Peggy Sattler MPP London West 519-657-3120 psattler-co@ndp.on.ca
PRIDE Villager
Page 6 Issue 6 • Spring 2021
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