LibGuides: Indigenous Studies: Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer

Introduction

Two-spirit is a pan-Indigenous term that encompasses concepts of sexual, gender and/or spiritual identity. This term was agreed upon at the 3^rd annual inter-tribal Native American/First Nations gay and lesbian gathering in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1990. The adoption of two-spirit was meant to differentiate between Indigenous and non-Indigenous experiences, as well as to take the place of offensive terms imposed by European colonizers. Within Indigenous communities which hold two-spirit concepts, these individuals often have culturally-specific ceremonial and social roles. The term two-spirit is not meant to replace any culturally specific terminology or concepts already in use within Indigenous communities. Nor is it meant to be an all-encompassing term for all Indigenous individuals with LGBTQIA+ identities. For example, an individual may identify as two-spirit or Indigiqueer or both or neither. (sources: [1], [2], [3], [4])

The term Indigequeer (now more often spelled as Indigiqueer) was created by Theo Jean Cuthand to title the Vancouver Queer Film Festival’s Indigenous/two-spirit program in 2004. He used it as a way to acknowledge that not all LGBTQIA+ Indigenous people feel that two-spirit describes their identity. (source: [1])

IMPORTANT: the dominant structure for organizing information is from a western perspective, for this reason you may need to use outdated (sometimes offensive) terminology to find resources related to Indigenous peoples; please contact us if you'd like assistance navigating this.

Combine keywords related to the concept of Indigenous identity with keywords related to your area of interest.

For example:

Indigenous	Aboriginal	"First Nations"
Inuit	Métis	"Indians of North America"
Indian	Native	Name of Nation or Community (e.g. Secwépemc)

AND

"Two Spirit" or "Two Spirited" or "two-spirited"	Queer or "Queer theory"	Gender or "Gender studies"
Sexuality	"Sexual orientation"	Indigiqueer
Identity	LGBT or LGBTQ or LGBTQ2S	Gay
Lesbian	Transgender	Decolonial/Decolonialism

Search Tips:

Use quotation marks to search for a phrase (e.g. "queer theory").
Use an asterisk to search for words with the same stem (e.g. decoloni* retrieves decolonial, decolonialism, decolonize).
Terminology changes over time. You many need to search for alternative spellings of a word, for example: Sto:lo, Stó:lô, Staulo, Stahlo or you may need to search for alternate words, for example: Kwakiutl/Kwakwaka'wakw or Nootka/Nuu-chah-nulth

Subject headings are a tool designed to help researchers find similar materials. These are only some examples of the many subject headings that Okanagan College Library uses. Spend a few minutes exploring them when you find a book in the catalogue that supports your research.

Search by Subject Terms

Two-spirit people
SOCIAL SCIENCE / LGBTQ+ Studies / Gay Studies
Indians of North America -- Sexual Behavior
Indian gays -- North America
Sexual Minorities -- Fiction
Queer identity

Featured Videos

Woman Dress
[NFB Streaming Video, 6 min] Pre-contact, a Two Spirit person named Woman Dress travels the Plains, gathering and sharing stories. Featuring archival images and dramatized re-enactments, this film shares a Cuthand family oral story, honouring and respecting Woman Dress without imposing colonial binaries on them.
Niish Manidoowag (Two-Spirited Beings)
[NFB Streaming Video, 6 min) Four youth travel Bebamikawe Trail on Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation Territory. Two of the youths are Two Spirited and discuss the confrontations and acceptance that they have encountered within their community and how it has affected their ability to experience and learn their culture.
Second Stories - Deb-we-win Ge-ken-am-aan, Our Place in the Circle
[NFB Streaming Video, 23 min] Filmmaker Lorne Olson had a vision of two-spirited people dancing, smiling, laughing; they were moving without shame, at peace with themselves and their place in the world. Lorne's vision sparks him to rediscover the strength of the past to better face the challenges of today.
Live Indigiqueer Storytelling
[Vimeo, 31 minutes] Syilx storyteller Madeline Terbasket performs live, sharing stories rooted in Indigenous traditions and wisdom that explore queer themes. They are a two-spirit performing artist who works with traditional storytelling, filmmaking, burlesque and drag. Join them as they re-imagine traditional stories with their physical comedy, queerness and vulnerability.
Conversations: Queer Inuit Art
[YouTube: 1hr 27min] A conversation on the subject of Queer Inuit art with moderator Alice Qannik Glenn and speakers Ossie Michelin and Jenny Irene Miller. Ossie and Jenny provide perspectives and insights as queer Inuit artists working in a variety of media. Alyson Hardwick from the Inuit Art Foundation introduces the event.

Featured Books

Becoming Two-Spirit: Gay Identity and Social Acceptance in Indian Country
Drawing on a wealth of observations from interviews, oral histories, and meetings and ceremonies, the author provides an intimate view of how Two-Spirit men in Colorado and Oklahoma struggle to redefine themselves and their communities.
Bones
Poems about a young two-spirit Indigenous man moving through shadow and trauma toward strength and awareness. Bones is about the ways we process the traumas of our past, and about how often these experiences eliminate moments of softness and gentleness.
Jonny Appleseed
The story of a young Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer, who becomes a cybersex worker fetishizing himself in order to make a living. Jonny Appleseed is a unique, shattering vision of Indigenous life, full of grit, glitter, and dreams.
Love after the End: an anthology of Two-spirit & Indigiqueer speculative fiction
This fiction anthology showcases a number of new and emerging 2SQ (Two-Spirit and queer Indigenous) writers from across Turtle Island.
Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time
A collection of indigenous science fiction and urban fantasy focusing on LGBT and two-spirit characters. These are stories of machines and magic, love and self-love.
Queer Indigenous Studies: critical interventions in theory, politics, and literature
This collection examines critical, Indigenous-centered approaches to understanding gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and Two-Spirit (GLBTQ2) lives and communities and the creative implications of queer theory in Native studies.
A Two-Spirit Journey
A compelling, harrowing, but ultimately uplifting story of resilience and self-discovery, this is Ma-Nee Chacaby's extraordinary account of her life as an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian.
Spaces Between Us: Queer Settler Colonialism and Indigenous Decolonization
Explaining how relational distinctions of "Native" and "settler" define the status of being "queer," Spaces between Us argues that modern queer subjects emerged among Natives and non-Natives by engaging the meaningful difference indigeneity makes within a settler society.

Featured Articles

Contested Meanings and Lived Experiences of Two-Spiritness
Morrison, M. A., Sadika, B., & Morrison, T. G. (2019). Contested Meanings and Lived Experiences of Two-Spiritness: A Systematic Review of the Canadian Research Literature.Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 39(1), 145–168.
Decolonizing objecthood through 2SQ Indigenous art
De Line, S. (2020). Decolonizing objecthood through 2SQ Indigenous art: Dayna Danger and Jeneen Frei Njootli’s performance, “Chases and Tacks." Journal of Visual Culture, 19(2), 225–231.
Doubleweaving Two-Spirit Critiques
Driskill, Q.-L. (2010). Doubleweaving Two-Spirit Critiques.GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian & Gay Studies, 16(1/2), 69–92.
Making Traditional Spaces: Cultural Compromise at Two-Spirit Gatherings in Oklahoma
Gilley, B. J. (2004). Making Traditional Spaces: Cultural Compromise at Two-Spirit Gatherings in Oklahoma.American Indian Culture & Research Journal, 28(2), 81–95.
Queer Theory and Native Studies
Smith, A. (2010). Queer Theory and Native Studies. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian & Gay Studies, 16(1/2), 41–68.
Radical Care and Decolonial Futures
Ansloos, J., Zantingh, D., Ward, K., McCormick, S., & Siriwattakanon, C. B. (2021). Radical Care and Decolonial Futures: Conversations on Identity, Health, and Spirituality with Indigenous Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Youth. International Journal of Child, Youth & Family Studies, 12(3/4), 74–103.
Using L'nuwey1 Worldview to Conceptualize Two-spirit
Sylliboy, J. R. (2019). Using L’nuwey Worldview to Conceptualize Two-spirit. Antistasis, 9(1), 96–116.
What's After Queer Theory? Queer Ethnic and Indigenous Studies
Hames-Garcia, M. (2013). What’s After Queer Theory? Queer Ethnic and Indigenous Studies. Feminist Studies, 39(2), 384.

Featured Podcasts

All My Relations
April 3, 2019: Indigiqueer
Joshua Whitehead and Billy-Ray Belcourt weave words and worlds to help us see and understand queer indigenous identities and bodies, the ways that settler colonialism has disrupted and distorted our relationships, and the power of asserting voice in spaces not meant for us.
Matriarch Movement
May 31, 2021: Ilona Verley the first Indigenous and first Two-Spirit queen on Canada's drag race
Ilona speaks about representation, her journey as Two-Spirit, and discusses the importance of honouring the Indigenous way of life and values through one’s work and culture.
Matriarch Movement
May 17, 2021: sharing Indigiqueer stories through music
Nimkish speaks of her creative process, of the challenges that come with being an Indigiqueer artist, and she shares her views on a future anchored in matriarchy and a return to an Indigenous way of life.
Tales of the LGBTQ+
July 9, 2021: Blood Eagle and the Validity of Truth
Cheyenne Mihko Kihêw is a 2 Spirit/Indigiqueer powerhouse who is part of the incredible E2S - Edmonton 2 Spirit Society. She shares her personal story with us in what it means to be 2 Spirit and as an 'Inbetween'.
Two Spirit Talks
Building on diverse teachings of the past towards a brighter Indigenous future for all through ceremony, song, and story.
Two Spirit Tea
The wide range of perspectives from Pride, indigenous beliefs, and two-spirited souls will provide discussions with depth and entertainment. Two Spirit Tea uses an array of knowledge and experiences to put forth a powerful voice on pop culture and current events.

Two-Spirit and 2SLGBTQIA+ Groups

Other Resources

Two-Spirit Resource Directory
From the Out in Schools website, this directory, created by the managing editor of Two-Spirit Journal, provides resources in both Canada and the United States.
Two Spirit Journal (2SJ)
2SJ provides original content of news and current events to educate, build connectivity and to put a face and voice to the diverse & vibrant Two-Spirit community in the United States and Canada.
University of Winnipeg: Two-Spirit Archives
The mission of the Two-Spirit Archives is to develop an internationally-renowned centre for research that supports the needs of the Two-Spirit community; makes Two-Spirit people visible in our documentary heritage; and supports the research, teaching, learning, and community mandates of the University.
The ArQuives
Canada's LGBTQ2S+ Archives: Explore highlights from the world's largest independent collection of LGBTQ2+ documentary heritage. Search for "two spirit" on their home page.