On this day, 4 August 1990, the term “Two-Spirit”, for Indigenous people “who embody diverse (or non-normative) sexualities, genders, gender roles, and/or gender expressions”, was adopted at the 3rd Annual Gathering of Native American Gays and Lesbians being held near Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada.
Teacher, counselor, administrator, mentor and elder, Dr. Myra Laramee (First Nations Cree) brought the term to a sharing circle of 80 Indigenous LGBT+ people from across North America at the 1990 Gathering, and it was quickly adopted.
As Harlan Pruden, the managing editor of the Two-Spirit Journal, put it: “[Two-Spirit evokes] the time before the harshness of colonisation where many, not all, First Peoples had traditions and ways that were non-binary, where some Nations had 3, 4, 5, 6, or even 7+ different genders and these genders were not only accepted and honoured but also had distinct roles within their respective Nations. Today, we would generally refer to these individuals as Two-Spirit.”
Pictured: Two-spirit Zuni princess We’wha, New Mexico, c1886. https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1776521865866289/?type=3