Two Spirits, One Community: Honoring Indigenous History This Pride Month
- Megan Reynolds
- Jun 26
- 2 min read
June is full of pride here at DIVINA WORLD Foundation! DWF celebrates so much of what makes us unique: languages, cultures, and ways of identifying. Our work with Wellness360 also prioritizes ensuring that everyone feels welcome. As we were thinking about Pride month and Indigenous People’s day on June 21st, we realized that we could learn more about what it means for our community members who identify as Two-Spirit and their history.
Celebrating Pride and everyone in our community is about more than parades and a month of visibility. We believe that learning more, investing deeply in the history of everyone in our community, and understanding the ways in which colonialism still shapes modern thinking is critical. That’s why we wanted to share our brief, and incomplete (please reach out to us if you have something you want us to add or if you have a story you want to share!), history of Two-Spirit. You can find a list of resources at the end.
To start, we wanted to center Indigenous voices and Native Americans in Philanthropy had an informative post about Two-Spirit experiences just a few days ago. Check it out by clicking on the Image below
We also found this short clip of Ma-Nee Chacaby thought provoking and helpful.
The term Two-Spirit (also referred to as 2Spirit) originally comes from the Anishnaabemowin term, niizh manidoowag, which translates to “two spirits.” While the Two-Spirit identity and ways of being have existed in Indigenous cultures long before the arrival of colonists to North America, the term itself was first proposed by Elder Myra Laramee at the Third Annual Intertribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference which was held in Winnipeg.
As the Rainbow Resource Centre writes, “Our Elders tell us of people who were gifted among all beings because they carried two spirits: that of male and female…These individuals were looked upon as a third gender in many cases and in almost all cultures they were honoured and revered. Two-Spirit people were often the visionaries, the healers and medicine people.”
Them’s YouTube channel has a great video you can watch below!
Despite centuries of colonialist repression, some resilient Indigenous individuals' and communities’ have reclaimed their identity and way of life. While there is, of course, much more work to do, more people are feeling supported and empowered to live as Two-Spirit and honor their Indigenous ancestors. We know our newsletter barely skims the surface, but we hope it encourages you to dive deeper into this history and to learn more about your queer community, now and everyday of the year.
Thank you for being with us. Thank you for learning. Thank you for believing that everyone deserves love just the way they are.
Happy pride, this June and beyond,
Carmen Milagro and Megan Reynolds
Resources:
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