The term “two spirit” originates in Native American tribes. The exact “origins” (such as what tribe it started in) is unknown. It is believed, however, that at least 155 tribes have adopted the term. The term itself typically is used to describe “a person who holds the spirit of a woman and a man”

The word “berdache” was once used as another word to describe two spirit individuals, however this word is now considered outdated and offensive to many. It is taken from a French word that meant “male prostitute”. However, the word’s origins are Persian which translated as “slave”. Durings the 1990s is when the term “two spirit” replaces “berdache”.

Those who identify as two spirit often wear clothes that are “commonly” associated with “female” clothes and “male” clothes, whatever their culture deems as “male” clothes and “female” clothes.

Some tribes treated two spirit individuals as being “double blessed”, holding high ranks within their tribes such as: shamen, teachers, and spiritual leaders. Two spirit individuals are often “tagged” onto people who also identify as transgender within Native American tribes. They were typically respected within their tribes.

In some tribes, two spirit individuals who were born with male genitalia, but identified as female were allowed to go to war and participate in “traditionally” male activities within the tribe. Two spirit individuals who were born with female genitalia, but identified as male were allowed to participate in “tradtionally” female activities within the tribe.

•Two male, two spirit individuals may call each other “sisters”

•To be in a relationship with another two spirit individual was considered “incestuous” for some tribes

•Parents of two spirit individuals did not believe to have any “special treatement”

•The majority of two spirit individuals tend to have relationships with females

•In the Lakota tribe, it was common for two spirit individuals to marry widows

•Some tribes believed that having sexual relationships with two spirit individuals let them have magical powers

The 1964 book Little Big Man by Thomas Berger, adapted into the 1970 western film Little Big Man. The film features a character named Little Horse. The Cheyenne (a tribe) accepts Little Horse as a "hee-man-eh," a class of persons who are neither traditionally male nor female. The novel describes Little Horse as anatomically male but displaying mannerisms more typical of women and self-identifying as female. While Hoffman's character is initially wary of Little Horse and rejects her sexual overtures, the two eventually form a close friendship.

The 2009 documentary film Two Spirits, directed by Lydia Nibley, tells the story of the hate-murder of 16-year-old Navajo Fred Martinez, nádleehí - a male-bodied person with a feminine nature. There is a trigger warning for those who have experienced transphobic incidents.

Alec ButlerA Canadian playwright and

filmmaker. Assigned female at birth, he identified as a butch lesbian before

pursuing gender reassignment in 1999, and currently identifies as a Two-

Spirit and trans man. Prior to his gender reassignment, his work was published

under the name Audrey Butler. He was a nominee for the Governor General's

Award for English drama in 1990 for his play Black Friday. He has also worked on artistic projects with The 519 Church St. Community Centre as their first artist-in-

residence. He was named one of Toronto's Vital People by the Toronto

Community Foundation in 2006.He is a Métis of Mi'kmaq heritage

Chrystos

a Menominee rights activist and poet. Prior to being published, she worked as a home caretaker, and an activist for Turtle Mountain Band of Chipewa (tribe), Norma

Jean Croy (involved in a firefight with police), and Leonard Peltier(a man

deemed guilty of killing FBI agents, very controversial).

Kent MonkmanAn artist of Cree and Irish ancestry. His

works examine the way Indigenous American and Canadian history has

been presented in art.Most of his works have strong gay male

imagery and deal with sexuality and Christianity as they have been affected

by colonialism in Canada and the United States. He became interested with the

issues of gender and queer or two-spirit Indigenous sexualities after

discovering that George Catlin encountered Two-Spirit peoples in his travels and refused to include them in

his paintings of "traditional" aboriginal life. He currently lives and works

in Toronto