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Other resources
- Edmonton 2 Spirit Society (e2s)
See resources, including a list of literature, links to the International Council of Two Spirit Societies, and more - Second Stories - Deb-we-win Ge-ken-am-aan, Our Place in the CircleLorne Olson's short documentary presents a vision he had of two-spirited people dancing, laughing, and smiling. His vision spurs him to rediscover the strength of the past to better face the challenges of today. This funny and buoyant film documents his touching journey.
- Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Children’s and YA Book ListsThese pamphlets are intended as a resource for patrons of public libraries to help increase the visibility of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer publications for children and young adults. These are not comprehensive lists of all available representations, but a selection of books that we believe provide positive representation.
- Mòkinàn Consulting
Mòkinàn Consulting is a collective of passionate, radical two spirit Indigenous educators devoted to decolonizing workplaces, places of learning and home environments through an anti-oppressive, two-spirit lense. We offer one-on-one and group consultations, workshops, webinars and training series as well as speaking engagements and artistic and creative activities.
Two-Spirit
Two-Spirit or Nij- manidowag is used for Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island to describe aspects of gender, sexuality, and spiritual identity; however, definitions differ from nation to nation. Its abbreviation is 2S as seen in LGBTQ2S+. The term Two Spirit/Nij- manidowag has been around since 1990, but Two-Spirit peoples have existed for a long time.
Many tribal specific terms exist to refer to specific roles and traditions for their Two-Spirit people. Here are some examples along with approximate definitions:
- Winkte (Lakota): "to be as a woman"
- Nádleehí (Navajo): "those who transform" or "one who is transformed"
- Ikwekaazo and ininiikaazo (Ojibwe): "one who endeavors to be like a woman" and "one who endeavors to be like a man", respectively
Indigiqueer is another term sometimes used alongside or to refer to the Two-Spirit identity; more often it is a term used by some LGBTQ+ Indigenous people who do not self-identify as Two-Spirit, or by those who identify with both.
Search examples (keywords, topics, etc.)
Starting your search can seem daunting, but we can help you break things down into steps.
- Check out our Foundational Tutorials (available in English et en Français!) are the best place to start!
- If you have more specific questions, just Ask Us! Our library staff are more than happy to help you out.
The following are keyword search results from the library catalogue and 300+ databases. Results include academic journal articles, ebooks, books, magazine/news articles, reviews, etc. Consider some of these as a base onto which you can add more specific search terms, such as “twospirit" and history.
Please note: you may need to include outdated and/or problematic terms to see historical works.
- Twospirit* or "two-spirit*" or "2S" or "Nij manidowag" or Winkte or Nádleehí or Ikwekaazo or ininiikaazo
- (Twospirit* or "two-spirit*" or "2S" or "Nij manidowag") and histor*
- Indigiqueer* or Indigequeer*
- (Twospirit* or "two-spirit*" or "2S" or "Nij manidowag") and ident*
You could consider combining these terms with those found on other pages of this guide, such as those on Sexual Orientation
Databases
- iPortal - Indigenous Studies Portal Indigenous Studies research tool from the University of Saskatchewan Library.
