thecuriousviolet:

Hey guys, Vi here. For those of you who do not know me, I am a Mvskoke Creek and a Western Cherokee. I am Two-Spirit, and follow the traditional medicine path of my people as a Kerrv, or literally ‘one who knows’.

I’ve been thinking a long time about this post and how I should word it. A lot of non-natives try to say they are two spirit and it makes me gag. But I don’t want to come off too strong.

Okay, so first. MANY/MOST native tribes have had same-sex marriage for CENTURIES before the white man ever invaded. We have had gender fluid individuals, trans people, and LGBT people in our cultures for thousands of years.

Since the invasion and almost near eradication of our cultures and languages, and the virtual ‘toss it out the window’ mentality the colonists had about or beliefs, it’s a shock that anyone really even remembers what life was like before the invasion. Thank goodness for oral tradition.

Because many of our tribes have long since forgotten the original term for those of us who do not follow sexuality/gender/feminine-masculine role norms, during the pan-Indian movement all tribes adopted the term ‘two spirit’ to describe these gifted and blessed individuals. (Kind of like the dreamcatcher and spirit animals and smudging are all terms/beliefs that most tribes revived and reclaimed)

Being Two spirit means something different to each two spirit person. It is not JUST being LGBTQA, it is a difference on a spiritual level, a religious level. Two spirits are often spiritually gifted. As I said, every two spirit is different. One two spirit person could be bisexual and able to walk between the spirit world and this world with ease, while another could be transgender and asexual and knows Medicine in their soul, not needing to be taught and just Knowing.

It’s different for everyone.

The reason that non-natives cannot be two spirit is because they are not native. Two Spirit is a part of native cultures and religious beliefs, so if you aren’t native, you cannot be two spirit. It’s really simple, actually. It’s something we are born into. You cannot convert to our religions or be fully adopted into our cultures because it is in our blood, in our spirits. Our ancestors live on in us.

Mvto!

Other posts you may find helpful:

Smudging
http://thecuriousviolet.tumblr.com/post/129417684257/on-smudging

Dreamcatchers 
http://thecuriousviolet.tumblr.com/post/129414387352/on-dreamcatchers

What is ‘native medicine’?
http://thecuriousviolet.tumblr.com/post/139659740527/what-is-native-medicine

Spirit/Totem Animals
http://thecuriousviolet.tumblr.com/post/141898606202/spirittotem-animals