two-spirit
Blended masculine feminine
Two-spirit is a gender identity used by some Indigenous North Americans to describe a person who embodies both masculine and feminine spirits.
The term, adopted in 1990 as a pan-Indian alternative to older anthropological labels, encompasses various traditional gender roles that existed across many Native cultures before European contact.
It is distinct from Western LGBTQ categories, rooted instead in Indigenous spiritual and cultural frameworks: She identifies as two-spirit within her tribe's traditions.
Outside male-female categories
- genderfluidVariable gender identity
- bigenderTwo-gender identity
- androgynousNeither distinctly male nor female
- gender rolesExpected behaviors by sex
feminine · masculine · gender expression · gender variance · pronouns · LGBTQ · queer · transgender
Original inhabitants of America
- First NationsCanada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- NavajoSouthwestern indigenous people
- LakotaWestern Sioux people
- OjibweAlgonquian-speaking indigenous nation
Zuni · tribal · intertribal · reservation · powwow · indigenous · precolonial · ancestry
Ceremonial set of actions
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- riteCeremonial act or practice
- naming ceremonyRitual bestowing official name
- coming-outPublic declaration of identity
recognition · honor · regalia · dancing · singing · drumming · powwow · gathering
Worthy of reverence
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- visionAbility to see
- medicine personTraditional indigenous healer
healer · shaman · blessing · dreams · prayers · offerings · sweat lodge · smudging
Consent to receive
- belongingState of fitting in
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- visibilityRange of clear sight
- representationDepiction or likeness
advocacy · allyship · inclusivity · safe space · support · recognition · reclamation · identity
Twofold nature
- wholenessComplete, undivided state
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- complementarityMutual enhancement through difference
- unityWholeness through cohesion
integration · completeness · equilibrium · interconnection · both · neither · fluidity · synthesis
nonbinary
Outside male-female categories
- genderfluidVariable gender identity
- bigenderTwo-gender identity
- androgynousNeither distinctly male nor female
gender roles · feminine · masculine · gender expression · gender variance · pronouns · LGBTQ · queer · transgender · gender-nonconforming
Native American
Original inhabitants of America
- First NationsCanada's non-Inuit indigenous peoples
- NavajoSouthwestern indigenous people
- LakotaWestern Sioux people
Ojibwe · Zuni · tribal · intertribal · reservation · powwow · indigenous · precolonial · ancestry · heritage
ritual
Ceremonial set of actions
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- riteCeremonial act or practice
- naming ceremonyRitual bestowing official name
coming-out · recognition · honor · regalia · dancing · singing · drumming · powwow · gathering · celebration
sacred
Worthy of reverence
medicine person · healer · shaman · blessing · dreams · prayers · offerings · sweat lodge · smudging · tobacco
acceptance
Consent to receive
- belongingState of fitting in
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- visibilityRange of clear sight
representation · advocacy · allyship · inclusivity · safe space · support · recognition · reclamation · identity · resilience
duality
Twofold nature
- wholenessComplete, undivided state
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- complementarityMutual enhancement through difference
unity · integration · completeness · equilibrium · interconnection · both · neither · fluidity · synthesis
- Third Genders
- gendergender, male, female, masculine, feminine
- identityidentity, personal identity, self, selfhood, self-expression
- Indigenous CanadaFirst Nations, Metis, Inuit, Cree, Ojibwe
- LGBTQgay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer
- LGBTQ+gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer
spirit, two, twin, spirited, spiritual, inspiration, spirituality, dispirited, dispirit