Homosexuality Among Native Americans

Taken from from Bidstrup.com by Scott Bidstrup

When English and French-Canadian fur trappers first grew acquainted with the cultures of the Native Americans among whom they found themselves, they were surprised to find that there were significant numbers of men dressed as women among the tribes of the region. What intrigued them the most, however, was the esteem with which these men were held by their fellow tribesmen. These men were considered to be spiritually gifted, a special gift to the tribe by God, men with a particular insight into spiritual matters. As they were encountered in most tribes, the trappers chose a French word to describe them all: "berdache."

Personally, as a person of Native American descent, I thoroughly dislike that term, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it is ultimately perjorative in its roots. Native Americans find the term offensive as it comes ultimately from the Arabic where it means roughly, 'male prostitute,' a thoroughly unacceptable term to be used for their highly respected spiritual advisors and elders.

The term "Two-Spirit" has been proposed as a replacement, but I find that it too is lacking, in that there is no universal agreement on its meanings, some of which are also perjorative. Yet what it does convey is a sense that these people have a special gift - being in two worlds at once, the normal material world, but also an sensitivity to a special gift of the spirit that only people like themselves can experience.

Other terms also fail to convey the breadth of the phenomenon and the esteem in which these men were held. While men living as men with other men were a phenomenon that varied widely among tribes, the phenomenon of the man dressed as a woman who engaged in the pursuit of spiritual matters was almost universal among North American tribes. The term, "Two-Spirit" is a term I will use, then, to describe this phenomenon in this section of this essay, in spite of its shortcomings.

There were exceptions, of course, to the celebration of Two-Spirits, such as the Pimas of Arizona, but in most cases, Native American tribes, particularly the tribes of the Great Plains and the Southwest, were greatly admiring of their Two-Spirits. Among the Hopi and the Zuni of Arizona and New Mexico, these Two-Spirits held a special status. They were keepers of the ancient traditional stories of creation, healing and growth. But more than that, they were the keepers of the spiritual traditions, recognized for their special gift of being "between genders."

Indeed, some tribes considered their Two-Spirits as being in the middle of a continuum of gender, not an abberation between two opposite genders as the western European model would have it. In this way, they were prescient of the view of many modern psychologists, who themselves are uncomfortable with the black/white, either/or gender identification of the European model.

By rejecting the dichotomous approach of the Europeans, the Native Americans who celebrated this diversity among themselves largely avoided the stigmatization of the members of their tribes that results when someone does not neatly fit within a dichotomous framework, but becomes seen as a "deviant" instead.

The veneration of the Two-Spirits was in no small part because of the realization that these people not only were different, but both the tribes and the Two-Spirits themselves understood their difference in spiritual terms - they were seen as prophets, men with mystical powers and the gift to see into two realms of the spirit at the same time - the realm of both men and women.

The veneration of the Two-Spirits began its decline with the arrival of the Spanish with their Inquisition. Of course, Native Americans who ran afoul of the Spanish Inquisition often found themselves being tortured or enslaved, and so they had an incentive to hide their Two-Spirit traditions. Matters weren't much better for the Native Americans who found themselves in lands captured by the English or French, either. In both cases, Two-Spirits and the Two-Spirit tradition was actively persecuted and suppressed as being deviant. Under the government of the United States, such activities were profoundly and ruthlessly punished.

The result has been that many Native Americans fail to appreciate that their Two-Spirit tradition is based on homosexuality and that the word "gay" has a meaning that is associated with homosexual acts, rather than the spiritual traditions of the Two-Spirits who themselves were gay. When tribal elders are asked if there were any gays among them in pre-European times, they will inevitably answer with a resounding, "NO!" Yet when asked about the nadle or the winkte or some other native language term, the answer would be a fond, nostalgic "Yes!" even though the terms are really much the same. It is clear that homophobia is a cultural value that has been well absorbed from the white man.

Comments

[Ronald Joseph]

I am quite interested in this subject!

[Doug Lovitt]

I have been to several Pow Wows and am very interested in the ways of Native Americans. (I believe I too was Native American in the upper regions of Michigan in a past life.)
The most recent Pow Wow was in Saint Ignace, Mi.
The emcee was recognizing the homosexuals in the Indian culture, and told how they were "exceptional" as they were of two spirits, and also how they were accepted by the Native Americans. That makes me feel so good about being the way I am!
If it were not for the white man coming here and forcing the American Indians to learn and practice their religion, there might be less hating, and more love in the world today! (thanks for listening...)
Peace to all.

[Connie-Mato Uni]

Very interesting forum, but I must object to the last writer's explanation; it excludes female two-spirited people. There were plenty of them, as I found by reading "Living the Spirit, A Gay American Indian Anthology," compiled by Will Roscoe. There are other resources, too; Walter L. Williams has written a scholarly and thorough tome, as have others. There are other, modern female two-spirit writers: Chrystos, Paula Gunn Allen, etc.

Live proud, people!

[Karrie]

I was looking for an older term and a more spiritual term than the one that is used that is not berdache I know there is another term I read it a long time ago and I know it is out there along with the history of the Twin Souls. I read it and now the book I had that had the information has destroyed by a storm that my books got caught in while I was moving. The reason why I need this term is because I belong to the LAGLC her in California and I was looking for the role of women who had twin souls in the way they were looked at and acted because the Lesbian Chat group I belong to was asking me to find out more and I need to get the information. This site will help me explain some of the information but I need deeper information.
I am not Native American but I know I am twin souls and accept that as being an open honest lesbian with a deep love and respect for the Native teachings and the Creator itself
Respect to all
Karrie

[Edward Ravenbear]

There is no "homophobia" that I have seen in my elders.
Whatever term you use to be "gay" in past times, was to be holy and respected. Today it is far from that. Elders and myself included do not see much that the "gays" of today have in common with the hunters, healers, and holy ones of the past.

[Edward Ravenbear]

There is no "homophobia" that I have seen in my elders.
Whatever term you use to be "gay" in past times, was to be holy and respected. Today it is far from that. Elders and myself included do not see much that the "gays" of today have in common with the hunters, healers, and holy ones of the past.

[David Solodiuk]

Being completely caucasian and growing up in Winnipeg I witnessed firsthand the outrageous prejudices towards and plights of aboriginal peoples at the hands of the government and ignorance by many other ' whites." Being poor as well as gay I felt many prejudices from larger society myself --- nothing, however, that could rival what the aboriginal community goes through! Especially with my experiencing friendships I experienced within the gay, aboriginal community, most of whom identified both spiritually and outwardly as being both female and male. This brave minority of two-spirited persons endured much ridicule and persecution for expressing themselves in the manner they did. They often, but not always, had substance abuse problems and even would support their habits by working the streets.

Still, I was privileged to know and be involved in the lives of a few of them and have my eyes opened, with my own prejudices examined by seeing life through their eyes. One person in particular I'll call "Bonnie" we enjoyed a long friendship with many talks, laughs and even more enlightening moments I could never forget. She (he?) inspired me with her life and especially her resilience in the face of everything that happened to her; Yet she was still able to revive a spiritual connection to her Cree roots. On a visit to Toronto for a two-spirited conference about a decade ago she and I met for coffee and I said something disrespectful to her that I don't even remember. Whatever it was certainly said more about ME than it did about her and I wish I could take it back and have her unique presence back in my life, even though she lives (as far as I know) in Winnipeg and I in Toronto. I would like to express my love to all the brave beautiful two-spirited peoples from everywhere whom so much can be learned from and whose experiences could never spoil but only enrich our lives if we keep an open mind and heart...

[Wesley Graham Keewatin]

This is so insightful. I always thought that I was somehow special even though I hid it! After reading your information on 2-spirits, you gave me such a relief. Now I know why I am here on Mother Earth. God bless the work that you are doing, it helped me as I am assuming that it is a Godsent to others as well.