Two-spirit: Difference between revisions
→Traditional Indigenous terms: sources
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With over 500 surviving Native American cultures, attitudes about sex and gender can be diverse.<ref name="de Vries 2009" /> Even with the modern adoption of pan-Indian terms like two-spirit, and the creation of a modern pan-Indian community around this naming, not all cultures will perceive two-spirits the same way, or welcome a pan-Indian term to replace the terms already in use by their cultures.<ref name=Pember/><ref name="de Vries 2009" /> Additionally, not all contemporary Indigenous communities are supportive of their gender-variant and non-heterosexual people now. In these communities, those looking for two-spirit community have sometimes faced oppression and rejection.<ref name=Vowel-1/><ref name=Pember/> While existing terminology in many nations shows historical acknowledgement of differing sexual orientations and gender expressions, members of some these nations have also said that while variance was accepted, they never had separate or defined roles for these members of the community.<ref name=Vowel-1/><ref name=Pember/> Among the Indigenous communities that traditionally have roles for two-spirit people, specific terms in their own languages are used for the social and spiritual roles these individuals fulfill.<ref name=Pember/><ref name="de Vries 2009" /><ref>Note: There is not always consensus, even among reporting elders and language workers, about all of these terms and how they are or were applied. See {{harvtxt|Vowel|2016|p=109}} and {{harvtxt|Druke|2014}}.</ref> The following list is not comprehensive. | With over 500 surviving Native American cultures, attitudes about sex and gender can be diverse.<ref name="de Vries 2009" /> Even with the modern adoption of pan-Indian terms like two-spirit, and the creation of a modern pan-Indian community around this naming, not all cultures will perceive two-spirits the same way, or welcome a pan-Indian term to replace the terms already in use by their cultures.<ref name=Pember/><ref name="de Vries 2009" /> Additionally, not all contemporary Indigenous communities are supportive of their gender-variant and non-heterosexual people now. In these communities, those looking for two-spirit community have sometimes faced oppression and rejection.<ref name=Vowel-1/><ref name=Pember/> While existing terminology in many nations shows historical acknowledgement of differing sexual orientations and gender expressions, members of some these nations have also said that while variance was accepted, they never had separate or defined roles for these members of the community.<ref name=Vowel-1/><ref name=Pember/> Among the Indigenous communities that traditionally have roles for two-spirit people, specific terms in their own languages are used for the social and spiritual roles these individuals fulfill.<ref name=Pember/><ref name="de Vries 2009" /><ref>Note: There is not always consensus, even among reporting elders and language workers, about all of these terms and how they are or were applied. See {{harvtxt|Vowel|2016|p=109}} and {{harvtxt|Druke|2014}}.</ref> The following list is not comprehensive. | ||
*Blackfoot Confederacy: ''a'yai-kik-ahsi'', "Acts like a woman." There are historical accounts of individuals who engaged in homosexual relationships, or who were born as men but lived their lives as women, possibly for religious or social reasons. These individuals were viewed in a wide variety of ways, from being revered spiritual leaders, brave warriors and artisans, to targets of ridicule.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Vengeful Wife|last=Dempsey|first=Hugh | *Blackfoot Confederacy: ''a'yai-kik-ahsi'', "Acts like a woman." There are historical accounts of individuals who engaged in homosexual relationships, or who were born as men but lived their lives as women, possibly for religious or social reasons. These individuals were viewed in a wide variety of ways, from being revered spiritual leaders, brave warriors and artisans, to targets of ridicule.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Vengeful Wife|last=Dempsey|first=Hugh|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0806137711|location=|pages=48–62}}</ref> | ||
*Blackfoot Confederacy: ''ááwowáakii'', "A male homosexual."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Blackfoot Dictionary of Stems, Roots, and Affixes|last=Frantz|first=Donald G.|last2=Russell|first2=Norma Jean|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=1989|isbn=0-8020-7136-8|location=|pages=5}}</ref> | *Blackfoot Confederacy: ''ááwowáakii'', "A male homosexual."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Blackfoot Dictionary of Stems, Roots, and Affixes|last=Frantz|first=Donald G.|last2=Russell|first2=Norma Jean|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=1989|isbn=0-8020-7136-8|location=|pages=5}}</ref> | ||
*Blackfoot Confederacy: ''ninauh-oskitsi-pahpyaki'', "Manly-hearted-woman." This term has a wide variety of meanings ranging from women who performed the roles of men, dressed as men, took female partners, or who participated in activities such as war.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Vengeful Wife|last=Dempsey|first=Hugh|publisher=University of Oklahoma press|year=2003|isbn=978-0806137711|location=|pages=57–62}}</ref> | *Blackfoot Confederacy: ''ninauh-oskitsi-pahpyaki'', "Manly-hearted-woman." This term has a wide variety of meanings ranging from women who performed the roles of men, dressed as men, took female partners, or who participated in activities such as war.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Vengeful Wife|last=Dempsey|first=Hugh|publisher=University of Oklahoma press|year=2003|isbn=978-0806137711|location=|pages=57–62}}</ref> | ||
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*iskwêw ka napêwayat, "A woman who dresses as a man".<ref name="Vowel-1" /> | *iskwêw ka napêwayat, "A woman who dresses as a man".<ref name="Vowel-1" /> | ||
*Cherokee: In the Cherokee language, ''asegi udanto'' refers to people who either are outside of men's and women's roles, or who have a combination of men's and women's roles.<ref name="engl_Nati">{{Cite web |title=Native American Heritage Month: Qwo-Li Driskill and Transgender Days of Remembrance |author= |work=Colorado State University |date=16 November 2017 |access-date=2 October 2020 |url= https://english.colostate.edu/news/native-american-heritage-month-qwo-li-driskill-transgender-days-remembrance/ }}</ref> "Asegi" translates as "strange" and is used by some Cherokees as a term similar to "[[queer]]".<ref name="AsegiStories">{{Cite web |title=Project MUSE - Asegi Stories |author= |work=muse.jhu.edu |date= |access-date=2 October 2020 |url= https://muse.jhu.edu/book/44810 |quote=udanto }}</ref> | *Cherokee: In the Cherokee language, ''asegi udanto'' refers to people who either are outside of men's and women's roles, or who have a combination of men's and women's roles.<ref name="engl_Nati">{{Cite web |title=Native American Heritage Month: Qwo-Li Driskill and Transgender Days of Remembrance |author= |work=Colorado State University |date=16 November 2017 |access-date=2 October 2020 |url= https://english.colostate.edu/news/native-american-heritage-month-qwo-li-driskill-transgender-days-remembrance/ }}</ref> "Asegi" translates as "strange" and is used by some Cherokees as a term similar to "[[queer]]".<ref name="AsegiStories">{{Cite web |title=Project MUSE - Asegi Stories |author= |work=muse.jhu.edu |date= |access-date=2 October 2020 |url= https://muse.jhu.edu/book/44810 |quote=udanto }}</ref> | ||
*Cheyenne: hemaneh, "half man, half woman".<ref name="Brayboy">{{Cite web |title=Two Spirits, One Heart, Five Genders |last=Brayboy |first=Duane |work=IndianCountryToday.com |date=September 7, 2017 |access-date=October 15, 2020 |url= https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/two-spirits-one-heart-five-genders-9UH_xnbfVEWQHWkjNn0rQQ}}</ref> | *Cheyenne: hemaneh, meaning "half man, half woman".<ref name="Brayboy">{{Cite web |title=Two Spirits, One Heart, Five Genders |last=Brayboy |first=Duane |work=IndianCountryToday.com |date=September 7, 2017 |access-date=October 15, 2020 |url= https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/two-spirits-one-heart-five-genders-9UH_xnbfVEWQHWkjNn0rQQ}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Native American Healing|year=1996|page=104|last=Lyon|first=William S.}}</ref> Sometimes cited as a word for gay men.<ref>{{cite book|title=Gay Spirit: Myth and Meaning|year=1987|page=77|last=Thompson|first=Mark|quote=Among the Cheyenne Indians, gay men were called ''hemaneh''.}}</ref> Sometimes transcribed as ''a-he-e me' ne'''.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Spirit and the Flesh: Sexual Diversity in American Indian Culture|year=1988|page=278|last= Williams|first= Walter}}</ref> | ||
*Cree: ayahkwêw, "A man dressed/living/accepted as a woman"; possibly not a respectful term; others have suggested it is a third gender designation, applied to both women ''and'' men.<ref name="Vowel-1" /> | *Cree: ayahkwêw, "A man dressed/living/accepted as a woman"; possibly not a respectful term; others have suggested it is a third gender designation, applied to both women ''and'' men.<ref name="Vowel-1" /> | ||
*Cree: înahpîkasoht, "A woman dressed/living/accepted as a man"; also given as "someone who fights everyone to prove they are the toughest".<ref name="Vowel-1" /> | *Cree: înahpîkasoht, "A woman dressed/living/accepted as a man"; also given as "someone who fights everyone to prove they are the toughest".<ref name="Vowel-1" /> | ||