Two-Spirit People

The current term Two-Spirit is an English word used to describe people who have always existed within Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Before colonization Two-Spirit people had been considered gifted beings who were honoured and revered for their gift of two spirits (the spirit of female and spirit of male). Pre-contact with Europeans, many Indigenous communities celebrated and honoured gender diversity, and because of their special gifts, Two-Spirit people were considered by some to be medicine people and healers. Two-Spirit people may define their identities in different ways as, spiritual, gender, and/or sexual identity. Today, those traditions and beliefs are being reborn.

See this this brochure, Two Spirit, for helpful explanations related to Two-Spirit people.

Watch Dr. Makokis, a Cree physician, define Two-spirit and discuss his work in transgender care in the video, Trans and Native: Meet the Indigenous Doctor Giving Them Hope.

As you view the video, consider how life would be different for gender diverse people today if Two-Spirit people had been embraced at colonization rather than shunned.