Watch and discuss: Two-Spirit People. (23 minutes) Two-Spirit People provides an overview of historical and contemporary Native American concepts of gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation. This documentary explores the “berdache” tradition, or third gender, in Native American culture. In these systems, individuals who embody feminine and masculine qualities act as a conduit between the physical and spiritual world, and because of this are placed in positions of power within the community.

Watch and discuss: Two-Spirit People. (23 minutes) Two-Spirit People provides an overview of historical and contemporary Native American concepts of gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation. This documentary explores the “berdache” tradition, or third gender, in Native American culture. In these systems, individuals who embody feminine and masculine qualities act as a conduit between the physical and spiritual world, and because of this are placed in positions of power within the community.

After you’ve finished watching the film, write a thoughtful discussion about what you learned and what you thought was interesting. One moment that I find extremely important is when the names–the language systems–of these categories are listed across the screen.

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