"An historic overview of two spirited people"

Abstract

This paper is divided into two sections. Part one, "The Historical Record," will describe several areas of interest regarding the legacy of two-spirited people of the First Nations and how this legacy interacts with modern circumstances, specifically, the HIV/AIDS crisis which began roughly in 1981. First, I will discuss the historical record of two-spirited people of the First Nations. Second, I will discuss their suppression and oppression by both religious authorities and state policies which were patriarchal, assimiliationist, and genocidal in nature. Finally, I will discuss how these policies serve to magnify the intensity of the AIDS crisis for Aboriginal Communities today. In Part Two, "What is Happening Today?", I will examine how homophobia and AIDS-related stigma impact upon two-spirited people, Aboriginal communities, as well as suggest the most appropriate role for the social worker as an ally.