Connect with WOK members who identify as Two-Spirit — and learn what it means.
Identity is personal.
Respect is universal.
Curiosity is welcome.
Two-Spirit is a modern, pan-Indigenous term used by some Native American and First Nations people to describe individuals who embody both masculine and feminine spirits, or who occupy a distinct gender, spiritual, or societal rolewithin their community. It is not simply a gender identity—it is deeply tied to Indigenous culture, traditions, and worldview.
Two-Spirit people may identify as male, female, both, neither, or as a separate gender altogether. Their roles historically included responsibilities such as healing, mediation, ceremonial leadership, craftwork, and care of children—often serving as respected and vital members of their communities.
The term Two-Spirit was coined in 1990 during the Indigenous lesbian and gay gathering in Winnipeg, Canada, as a translation of the Ojibwe phrase niizh manidoowag, meaning “two spirits.” It was created to replace outdated and offensive colonial terms such as “berdache,” and to provide a culturally rooted, unifying label for Indigenous people whose identities exist outside of Western binary gender frameworks.
Importantly, Two-Spirit is exclusive to Indigenous peoples of North America. It is not a synonym for LGBTQ+ or nonbinary, and should not be adopted by non-Indigenous individuals. It is a cultural and spiritual identity, not just a gender label.
Two-Spirit identity is vital not only as a form of personal expression, but also as a reclamation of pre-colonial gender roles and traditions. Before European colonization, many Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island recognized more than two genders, and Two-Spirit people held respected and often sacred roles in society.
Colonialism imposed binary gender systems and homophobic/transphobic norms that erased or suppressed these roles. Today, the Two-Spirit identity is part of the broader movement to revive Indigenous knowledge systems and affirm the sovereignty of Indigenous gender identities.
Supporting Two-Spirit individuals means respecting their identities as culturally specific and spiritually grounded, and understanding that their experiences are not interchangeable with Western LGBTQ+ terms.
Nonbinary – Describes identities outside the male-female binary. While there may be overlap in experience, Two-Spirit is not a nonbinary identity—it is an Indigenous-specific term with cultural meaning.
Genderfluid / Bigender – Western terms describing movement between or identification with multiple genders. Two-Spirit may include these experiences but is rooted in traditional cultural roles and not modern gender theory.
LGBTQ2S+ – An inclusive acronym that recognizes Two-Spirit as a distinct identity within queer Indigenous communities.
Cultural Identity – Two-Spirit is both a gender and cultural identity, shaped by Indigenous beliefs, language, and traditions.
Decolonization – The process of undoing colonial structures. Recognizing and honoring Two-Spirit identities is a vital part of decolonizing gender and restoring Indigenous frameworks of understanding identity.
To be Two-Spirit is to hold a place of deep cultural, spiritual, and historical significance. It is a reminder that gender diversity is not new—many Indigenous communities honored and embraced people with complex gender identities long before colonization.