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[[File:Two spirit alt.png|thumb|220x220px|2Sanon's two spirit flag.]][[File:Enby two spirited flag.jpg|thumb|220x220px|Alternate two spirit flag by 2Sanon.]][[File:Twospirit3.png|thumb|220x220px|Lgbtqa-pride-icon's two-spirit flag.]]'''Two Spirit''' or '''Twospirited''' is an [[Exclusive Genders|exclusive gender]] for Indigenous North Americans. Typically two spirit people fulfill one of many third gender or mixed gender roles found traditionally among many Native American and other indigenous groups. The mixed gender roles encompassed by the term may vary based on the specific tribe, but historically often included wearing the clothing and performing the work associated with both men and women. Two spirit people often serve a ceremonial role as well. In some tribes, when the term is used as an English synonym for a traditional ceremonial role, a two spirit person must be recognized as such by the Elders of their community.

Most tribes have a tribe-specific name that is used to describe a third or fourth gender category, and may be used synonymously with two spirit in English. Two spirit was created as an English word to serve as an [[Umbrella Term|umbrella term]] for the diverse, culturally-specific ceremonial and social roles found in many different Native American and Indigenous cultures. The gender roles that can be described as two spirit can vary widely. No single gender or sexuality category within Native American/Indigenous' cultures applies to all two spirit people and vice verse.

Two spirit is commonly understood to refer to a person who has the spirit of both woman and man within them, and could be thought of as being similar to [[bigender]], though not all genders that fall under two spirit are described as such. The term is also used as an umbrella term by [[transgender]], [[Non-Binary|non-binary]], [[Gender Non-Conforming|gender non-conforming]], and other [[LGBT+]] Native Americans/indigenous peoples even if they wouldn’t describe themselves as bigender specifically. As an umbrella term it can be more accurately understood as any identity that does not make sense unless it is contextualized within the framework of a Native American or Indigenous traditional cultural understanding. Not all two-spirit people consider themselves transgender, non-binary, or [[LGBT+]].

The English term "two spirit" emerged in 1990 out of the third annual inter-tribal Native American/Indigenous [[gay]]/[[lesbian]] American conference in Winnipeg. A direct translation of the Ojibwe term, ''Niizh manidoowag'', "two-spirited" or "two-spirit" is usually used to indicate a person whose body simultaneously houses a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit. The term can also be used more abstractly, to indicate presence of two contrasting human spirits (such as Warrior and Clan Mother) or two contrasting animal spirits (which, depending on the culture, might be Eagle and Coyote).

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[[Category:Gender]]

[[Category:Miscellaneous gender]]

[[Category:Cultural Genders]]

[[Category:Exclusive Genders]]