 Spirit
and the Flesh: Sexual Diversity in American Indian Culture by
Walter L. Williams
Walter L. Williams's excellent research has
produced one of the most extensive studies of the berdache culture
among Native Americans. Unlike the larger American society, Native
Americans historically have respected, and in many tribal nations
venerated, homosexuals. Williams explains the berdache as a
custom, its social roles, and the berdache history, including its
introduction to the European concept of sin and intolerance of
sexual diversity. The word berdache applies almost exclusively to
males, mainly because historical records only relate dealings with
aboriginal males, but Williams also includes a chapter on female
sexual diversity, using the word amazon to describe these often
warriorlike women.
About the Author
Native American respect for gender/sexual diversity.
Winner of the Gay Book of the Year Award from the American Library
Association, the Ruth Benedict Award from the Society of Lesbian
and Gay Anthropologists, and an award from the World Congress for
Sexology, this is an academic yet popularly written study by
Walter L. Williams, professor of anthropology and gender studies
at the University of Southern California. Based upon extensive
archival research and by interviewing Indian people on many
reservations (including Lakota Sioux, Navajo, and Yucatan Maya),
Williams documents how many Native American religions and cultures
venerate androgynous "two-spirit" people. Such persons,
who are classified as neither men nor women, but another gender,
are respected as spiritually gifted, hard-working contributors to
their extended families and communities. The traditional and
modern roles of both feminine males and masculine females are
covered in this book, as well as their socially accepted same-sex
marriages. A concluding chapter looks at other cultures around the
world which have offered respected and accepted social positions
for such gender variant persons.
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The American Indian Community House (AICH) is a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization serving the health, social
service, and cultural needs of Native Americans residing in New
York City.In 1991, AICH instituted the HIV/AIDS Project to provide
HIV related services through outreach, referral and case
management.
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The Alaska Native Health Board (ANHB) provides
capacity-building assistance to Native villages, communities, and
organizations throughout Alaska for HIV prevention.
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This site offers an extensive list of annotated
reference and research links for Native American Studies.
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Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits (B.A.A.I.T.S.)
is a group of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgendered people of
American Indian ancestry who come together to socialize, share and
network.
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The Bureau of Indian Affairs' mission is to
enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and
to carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the trust
assets of American Indians, Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.
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The Gay and Lesbian center of the Inland Empire
is located in San Bernardino, CA. This site offers news,
calendar of events, community actions and more.
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The National Native American AIDS Prevention
Center ("NNAAPC") is pleased to be able to share with
you the report on "HIV Prevention for Gay / Bisexual /
Two-Spirit Native American Men" from the National Leadership
Development Workgroup at NNAAPC.
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IHBM was among the first urban Indian health
clinics to respond to Native persons living with AIDS through our
AIDS Program. We provide education, counseling/testing,
prevention, case management.
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Intertribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) is a
regional minority organization funded by the Centers for Disease
Control for HIV prevention technical assistance in the states of
Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.
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This site offers an American Indian/Alaskan
Native/Native Hawaiian Community AIDS Network Newsletter published
by the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center.
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NALCHA News is a quaterly HIV/AIDS awareness
newsletter from the NYS-based Native American Leadership
Commission on Health & AIDS. NALCHA News is produced by
the AICH HIV/AIDS Project.
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This site offers newsletters and information on
AIDS Prevention, what's in the media, Care and research resources
and more.
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This site specializes in resources for Native American
LGBT Youth, including online community information,
resources and books.
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NativeNet is designed to promote dialogue and
understanding regarding indigenous peoples of all parts of the
world. It provides a set of electronic mailing lists and archives
and maintains a list of references to relevant information on the
Web.
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This site provides links to Native American organizations
& businesses.
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NativeWeb is a project of many people. Our
vision touches ancient teachings and modern technology. Our
purpose: to provide a cyber-place for Earth's indigenous peoples.
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"In A Sacred Manner We Shall Live" --
Project Red Talon (PRT) is funded through a cooperative agreement
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). PRT is
responsible for providing HIV/STD prevention education, training,
technical assistance, capacity building, and resource materials to
federally recognized American Indian tribes in Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
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The Ogitchidag Gikinooamaagad Players is a group
of young Native actors dedicated to educating the Native Community
about AIDS and related topics through story telling, drama, music,
and dance.
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This site contains many interesting links and
articles on magic, the Two Spirit Path, the Theory of the Upward
Spiral, and more.
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Sacred Circles is an organization for Two Spirit
Native American people and their companions. The group is a
traditional learning, teaching, and social organization. The Two
Spirit person comes from a proud and honored past that has been
forgotten or ignored in the recent past. As an organization, once
a month, Sacred Circles brings together Two Spirit people
throughout Southern California to teach and learn about their
proud heritage and their honored position in the Native American
culture. Sacred Circles is open to all Native American Two Spirit
people from all First Nations.
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This site is dedicated to sharing the knowledge
and teachings, old and new, of the Two-Spirit tradition.
"Two-Spirit" is a modern phrase now being used to refer
to the seers, the visionaries, the cultural keepers, the peace
keepers of many Native American tribes before the arrival of
European explorers. Often they dressed in women's clothing and
were what we now call gay. Many amazing and perspective-altering
books have been written on the history and tradition of what we
now call Two-Spirits.
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Newsletter of the NLDW for Gay, Bisexual &
Two-Spirit Native American Men.
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