by Kyra Gomes and Russ Tallchief
鈥淭wo-Spirit鈥� is an umbrella term used by some Native Americans to represent individuals who are gender-fluid. The notion of only two genders is a social construct ingrained deeply within Western culture.
However, in Native American cultures, there are numerous gender identities and phrases used to describe these individuals. The Potawatomi have a male-assigned name for their Two-Spirit members: M鈥檔etokwe, which means 鈥渟upernatural and extraordinary.鈥� The Osage, Omaha, and Ponca also have the male-assigned name Mixuiga, which means 鈥渋nstructed by the moon.鈥� The Cherokee use a male-assigned name, Nudale Asgaya (鈥渄ifferent man鈥�), a female-assigned name, Nudale Agehya (鈥渄ifferent woman鈥�), and a general name, Asegi.
Today, there are many active Two-Spirit societies around the country. Each year in June, the Central 麻豆传媒 Two-Spirit Society participates in 麻豆传媒 City鈥檚 Pride Parade.
People who identify as Two-Spirit, like others who hold multiple and intersecting identities, represent a range of professional positions in and across our country.
At 麻豆传媒 City University, we have added 鈥�2S鈥� at the front of the 鈥淟GBTQIA+鈥� acronym. 鈥�2S鈥� resides in the front of our spectrum initialism to represent the tribes who were protectors of this land before it was colonized. We are fortunate to be residing on this land, and it is crucial to include 鈥�2S鈥� in 鈥�2SLGBTQIA+鈥� to acknowledge and respect the history of Native peoples across the diaspora.
In the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we will be steadfast in our commitment to educate ourselves and seek ways to incorporate indigenous culture into our curricular and co-curricular learning experiences at 麻豆传媒. We invite you to learn more about this topic, too!
Gomes is a musical theater\/vocal performance major and student program coordinator with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Tallchief is director of Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
