Two-Spirit People in Native American Cultures

In the summer of 1990, at the third annual Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian conference, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the term Two Spirit was established. An English translation of the Northern Algonquin term niizh manitoag , Two Spirit describes masculine and feminine qualities within a single person. As a pan tribal term, Two Spirit both connected organizers across different Native nations and also helped them re-discover the traditional terminology used in their own cultural history. Joining me to help us understand more about the Two-Spirit people is Dr. Gregory Smithers , a American history at Virginia Commonwealth University , and author of the new book, Reclaiming Two-Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America . Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag , composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. Image Credit: “ We-Wa, a Zuni berdache, full length portrait ,” photographed between circa 1871 and circa 1907 by John K. Hillers, National Archives at College Park, Public domain. Additional sources: “ What does 'Two-Spirit' mean? What to know about Two-Spirit, indigenous LGBTQ identities ,” by David Oliver, USA…