At the intersection of Pride Month and Victory Day, the Northern Cheyenne community gathered at Chief Dull Knife College for a multi-generational event celebrating two-spirit relatives — reaffirming roles that have existed long before the term “LGBTQ+.”
Attendees at a two-spirit event at Chief Dull Knife College on June 25, 2025.
EMMA JANE
The term “two-spirit” was coined in 1990 as a pan-Indian way to describe the various third-gender roles accepted in many Indigenous tribes for individuals aligned with both masculine and feminine energies. The meaning, roles, and terms for these individuals vary across tribes and cultural traditions.
“It’s a generalized pan-Indigenous term which should be interpreted within the context of both the individual and the tribe that they represent,” event speaker Charlene Sleeper said.
Charlene