Two Spirit People is the first-ever look at social science research
exploration into the lives of American Indian lesbian women and gay
men. Editor Lester B. Brown posits six gender styles in traditional
American Indian culture: men and women, not-men and not-women
(persons of one biological sex assuming the identity of the
opposite sex in some form), and gays and lesbians. He brings
together chapters that emphasize American Indian spirituality,
present new perspectives, and provide readers with a beginning
understanding of the place of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Indians
within American Indian culture and within American society. This
beginning will help you understand these unique people and the
special challenges and multiple prejudices they face.Traditionally,
American Indian cultures showed great respect and honor for
alternative gender styles, since these were believed to be part of
the sacred web of life. If the Great Spirit chose to create
alternative sexualities or gender roles, who was bold enough to
oppose such power? If one's spiritual quest revealed one's identity
to be that of not-woman, not-man, gay, or lesbian, who should defy
their calling? The interpretation of contemporary American Indian
religions that gay American Indians retain sacred rights within
Indian cultures, and that they can share this gift with others,
have implications for therapy, identity formation, social
movements, and general human relations. Social workers and other
human service professionals, American Indian studies students,
sociologists, anthropologists, and lesbian and gay scholars will
find Two Spirit People enlightening and a significant contribution
to the development of professional interventions for oppressed
groups that is ethnically and culturally sensitive. Only by
understanding the belief systems from which these oppressed groups
come will you begin to really help them achieve positive change.
You will become better equipped to specifically help gay and
lesbian American Indians as you gain insight into: American Indian
alternative gender styles social service issues for American Indian
lesbians and gay men American Indian not-men and not-women and
their choosing ceremonies American Indian lesbian and gay identity
development American Indian lesbian and gay literature AIDS and
American IndiansTwo Spirit People helps you see that family and
community acceptance of lesbians and gays is possible. The families
of American Indian lesbians and gays do not usually abandon them,
thus helping them face a generally unaccepting American milieu.
Looking to this book and the American Indian perspective of
alternative sexuality/gender styles, American society as a whole
can begin to take a new approach to the treatment and understanding
of other groups traditionally held to the "outside" of American
mainstream society.
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