History of the Two-Spirit Native American People
History of the Two-Spirit Native American People
Abstract
Accounts of homosexual and cross-gender Native American individuals from before colonization have been documented and discussed. The term given to those who take up this role in the tribe is Berdache, or Two-Spirit. Often the male would take on the role of the female, yet it is not certain that all Two-Spirit tribe members were homosexual. However with the arrival of Europeans and the following colonization, the role of the Two-Sprit was diminished, and nearly extinguished as the result of Western culture religious beliefs and societal attitudes towards homosexuality This paper will discuss the resurgence of the Two-Spirit as the Gay Rights Movement and the Native American rights movements move forward and societal attitudes become more accepting. A look at indigenous rights on the global scale will be discusses as well. ,
History of the Two-Spirit Native American People
It is believed that the first people to inhabit North America were Asian in origin. It is believed that they made the journey from Asia to Alaska by crossing the Bering Strait during the Ice Age (at least 10,000 years ago) (Cell Press, 2009).
Over a period of time these people migrated further and further south. They adapted themselves to their environment, those living in the cold north became skilled hunters and fishermen, those living in the wooded areas built wooden houses and canoes while those in the hotter south grew corn and made houses from sun-dried bricks. There were hundreds of different tribal groups each adapting their lifestyle to the geographical and climate region they inhabited (Cell Press, 2009).
Tsai and Alanis (2004), suggested that ffamily practices within the Native American culture were as diverse as among the different Asian groups ' family practices and traditions. Yet, despite this enormous diversity, there seems to be common core values and beliefs that characterize traditional Native
Abstract
Accounts of homosexual and cross-gender Native American individuals from before colonization have been documented and discussed. The term given to those who take up this role in the tribe is Berdache, or Two-Spirit. Often the male would take on the role of the female, yet it is not certain that all Two-Spirit tribe members were homosexual. However with the arrival of Europeans and the following colonization, the role of the Two-Sprit was diminished, and nearly extinguished as the result of Western culture religious beliefs and societal attitudes towards homosexuality This paper will discuss the resurgence of the Two-Spirit as the Gay Rights Movement and the Native American rights movements move forward and societal attitudes become more accepting. A look at indigenous rights on the global scale will be discusses as well. ,
History of the Two-Spirit Native American People
It is believed that the first people to inhabit North America were Asian in origin. It is believed that they made the journey from Asia to Alaska by crossing the Bering Strait during the Ice Age (at least 10,000 years ago) (Cell Press, 2009).
Over a period of time these people migrated further and further south. They adapted themselves to their environment, those living in the cold north became skilled hunters and fishermen, those living in the wooded areas built wooden houses and canoes while those in the hotter south grew corn and made houses from sun-dried bricks. There were hundreds of different tribal groups each adapting their lifestyle to the geographical and climate region they inhabited (Cell Press, 2009).
Tsai and Alanis (2004), suggested that ffamily practices within the Native American culture were as diverse as among the different Asian groups ' family practices and traditions. Yet, despite this enormous diversity, there seems to be common core values and beliefs that characterize traditional Native
References: Carpenter, K., A. and Riley, A. (2013) The Jurisgenerative Moment in Indigenous Human Rights (February 18, 2013). California Law Review, Vol. 102, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2013 from http://ssrn.com/abstract=2220573 Cell Press (2009, January 21). First Americans Arrived As Two Separate Migrations, According To New Genetic Evidence. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 22, 2013 from http://www.sciencedaily.com Grahn, J., (1986).Strange Country This: Lesbianism and North American Indian Tribes. Journal of Homosexuality. May 1986: 43-57. Howell, C., (1996) The Impact of Colonization on the Role of the Nontraditional Native American Woman, University of Wisconsin. Retrieved on March 23 from http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~caitlin/papers/native.htm Jacobs, S.; Thomas, W.; Lang, S. (1997). Two-spirit people: Native American gender identity, sexuality, and spirituality, page 4. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. Retrieved on March 23, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-Spirit#cite_note-4 Trexler, R.,C. (2002) The Berdache and the Illinois Indian Tribe during the Last Half of the Seventeenth Century, Journal of Social History , Vol. 35, No. 3 (Spring, 2002), pp. 613-636. Retrieved on March 24, 2013 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3790693 Tsai, G.and Alanis,L. (2004) The Native American Culture: A Historical and Reflective Perspective, NASP Communiqué, Vol. 32, #8. Retrieved on March 25th from: http://www.nasponline.org/publications/cq/cq328native.aspx