The Two-Spirit People Gender

There has been a significant amount of discussion about traditional Indigenous views of gender, specifically on two-spirits. Traditional Indigenous views of gender, specifically two-spirit people, is very open and tolerant. Two-spirit people were seen as an asset to society and were highly respected compared to now where they are repressed due to colonialist views. In this media analysis essay, I will be comparing, contrasting, and critiquing the following articles: “Life In Between: The Beauty And Importance Of The Two-Spirit People” by Katie Redmiles in February 2016 for Kosmos Journal which is a non-Indigenous news source however, Redmiles is Indigenous. “The ‘Two-Spirit’ People Of Indigenous North America” by Walter L. Williams in October …show more content…
Redmiles believes this causes the issue of the colonialist and Christian view of discrimination against Indigenous Two- Spirit persons because they do not fit into the stereotypical gender roles as the Indigenous belief of acceptance of all people has been lost and homophobia has replaced it. This can be seen with the same sex marriage issues in the states seen in the news and the statesmen that are against it are usually of a Christian background. Redmiles states that homophobia has caused many disastrous events on Two-Spirit individuals such as suicide and feelings of prejudice. Anyone who reads the news or watches it can see that this is a true fact, but it does not only affect Two-Spirit people, it affects everyone. Redmiles also states that some may argue that more people in contemporary society have become accepting of Two-Spirit people, but the prejudice still remains for anyone who cannot be put into these categorised gender norm boxes. This can be seen anywhere on social media. According to Williams, as more people began to accept the colonialist and Christian view of gender norms, “Two- Spirit people were often forced, either by government officials, Christian missionaries or their own community, to conform to standard gender roles”. This is interesting because not a lot of people know what a Two-Spirit person is or that they even existed, in my research this is seen with non-Indigenous people and even some Indigenous people. Dakin claims that even in places deemed “safe spaces” such as LGBTQ+ centers, Two- Spirit people still felt a disconnect, a lack of acceptance, and stigma because most people no longer know what it means to be Two-Spirit since the concepts of colonialism and Christianity caused a loss of