TWO-SPIRIT POWWOWS
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The Need for a Separate Space
Homophobia is alive and powerful within many Native societies. "Two-Spirit" peoples are commonly banned from their tribal powwows and other social events due to their queering identity. “Two-Spirit”
powwows were created by queer Natives as a way to engage in their cultural events without fear of being ostracized or threatened. These Two-Spirit powwows often occur away from the community and are not heavily publicized
outside of the “Two-Spirit” community. In these “Two-Spirit”
powwows, bodily sex is not conflated to one’s role in the powwow, rather, those
who feel “called” to dress in women’s regalia do so, and the same goes for that
of men’s regalia. It is important
that the “gender switching” that takes place in “Two-Spirit” powwows is not
confused with drag performance. It is also important to note that not all
“Two-Spirit” peoples are called to “switch” roles in the powwows, but everyone
who participates does to some degree contributes to the re-gendering of the
powwow. These “Two-Spirit” powwows are highly necessary because
they provide opportunities for queer Natives to practice their religion on
their own terms, allowing them to establish a connection between their
sexuality and gender expression with their cultural social practices.
The separate space that “Two-Spirit” powwows offer is not an attempt to
overthrow Native cultural values, but instead to make room for “Two-Spirit”
visibility and identity. These alternative powwows also work to
diminish discrimination against non-heterosexual peoples through the
association of gender diversity with cultural forms.
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