America’s traditional gender binary – male or female – is actually a relatively new idea on the continent. Before the first Christians settled here, Native Americans had been living without a binary system or gender rules for centuries.
Many tribes acknowledged 5 different genders:
Female, Male, Two Spirit Female, Two Spirit Male, and Transgendered.
Two Spirits identified as both male and female. It’s said they had a gift that allowed them to see the world through two perspectives. A gift I think a lot of us wish we had.
Many Native American parents raised their children without gender assignment – children’s clothing was traditionally gender-neutral. As they grew up, kids were free to choose the identity that felt natural to them.
Today, many Native Americans are trying to bring these more complex ideas of gender back into conversation.
One Aboriginal couple want to show their companionship as a positive, contemporary example of “Two-spirit and LGTTQQIA identities, sex positivity, and sexual esteem and empowerment,” Warren, of the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, said in an interview with Iksokapi Magazine.
His partner, Don Bear of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation added, “Over the years people have either assume or asked questions in hopes of conceptualizing the ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ in our relationship. Our relationship is more about team work and we try not to get caught up with notions of stereotypical gender roles.”
Feature photo collage by Edgar Caswell
