Sitting Bull (c. 1831 – December 15, 1890)

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Sitting Bull, or Ta-Tanka I-Yotank, was the great Sioux leader and warrior who helped defeat General George Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.

One of Sitting Bull’s five wives was a "two-spirit“ man. Virtually all American Indian tribes had a tradition of "two-spirits,“ homosexual males assuming the roles of women, and women assuming the roles of men, in work, sex, and social functions. Indians revered the two-spirit, typically an effeminate man or masculine woman who did not fit into standard gender roles. Two-spirits were treated as sacred and held ceremonial roles as psychic healers, medicine men, prophets, and shamans.

European settlers repressed the tradition and it went underground, reemerging after the rebirth of Indian culture and the rise of gay liberation in the 1970s.

Stern, Keith. Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals. Perseus Books Group. Kindle Edition.

Further Readings:

Two Spirits: A Story of Life With the Navajo by Walter L. Williams and Toby Johnson
Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (June 12, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590210603
ISBN-13: 978-1590210604
Amazon: Two Spirits: A Story of Life With the Navajo

Twenty years after publishing his groundbreaking The Spirit and the Flesh, anthropologist Walter L. Williams breaks his silence and publishes another book on Native Americans by teaming up with award-winning writer Toby Johnson. Together they have produced a work of historical fiction that is striking in its evocation of Navajo philosophy and spirituality.
Set in the Civil War era of the 1860s, this novel tells the story of a feckless Virginian who finds himself captivated by a Two-Spirit male highly respected among the Navajo. It is a story of tragedy, oppression, and discrimination, but also an enlightening story of love, discovery, and beauty.

Two Spirits illuminates the truth of what the United States did to the largest indigenous people of this nation. Full of suspense, plot twists, and endearing romance, this novel will captivate readers.

Comments

[elena-62.livejournal.com]

Cara Elisa,

Thank you especially for the ''reminder'' about the book.

I bought ''Two Spirits'' on paper after reading an enthusiastic review about it, but I still have to start it...

Ciao

Antonella

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It's a very good novelitation of a two-spirit story, and if I remember well, the authors side it was part true story they adapted into a novel.

[bluebear2.livejournal.com]

I went to school on the plains and there were many natives in my class who lived on reservations. One day, one of the native guys showed up for class with a single pony tail on the top of his head. The teacher thought he was just being goofy and said that as his punishment for showing up for class that way was he had to wear it that way all day. The guy laughed and said "sure".
Years later I find out that a single pony tail on the top was a sign of a shaman to his people. Who knows what he was to his people back home.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

they have a lot of ancient traditions and I'd love for them to be able to respect them. maybe that teacher, having Native American students, should have tried to learn some of them, in the end, wearing a single ponytail was not harming anyone.

[tizi17.livejournal.com]

very interesting subject and also a very good novel. i read a bit more about the "winkte"-tradtion in some tribes.
and on a more light side, there are 2 fine novels around this theme, "cut hand" and the sequel "river otter" - to recommend if someone is interested in this.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

will look into those novels, I have always had an interest in Native American traditions.

[aileenfan.livejournal.com]

You caught my interest. I heard something about the "two spirit people" but never explored the subject. Now I think I will:)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

one of my favorite part of LGBT and Native American history, I was always fascinated on how so accepting of human nature they were.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

One of my 'brothers' is a berdache or winkte. These are not really homosexual people as much as those who are born in the wrong bodies. 'Scott' was born with underdeveloped male organs and a female uterus. His/her parents decided to have him surgically altered (through many surgeries) into a female, but although he is legally known as Shelley, he thinks of himself as Scott and is married to a female. He is considered an honored and blessed person within Lakota tradition and is highly respected within that society when white society tends to look down upon him because of his gender identities. It's been a very difficult road for him to walk over time.

- Erulisse (one L)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

it's not the first time I read/heard about these cases, and most of the time, the parents's decision is not saving traumatic experience to the boy or girl. The body and the mind is a fragile thing, and they work together and if you alter that equilibrium, it can cause great damage. Hope Scott managed to rebuild his equilibrium, it's a great thing that at least part of the society in which he is living is accepting of him.

[aileenfan.livejournal.com]

So called "civilized people" should learn from them:)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Ditto!