ABSTRACT

This book offers insights from young trans, queer, and two-spirit Indigenous people in Toronto who examine the breadth and depth of meanings that two-spirit holds. Tracing the refusals and desires of these youth and their communities, Urban Indigenous Youth Reframing Two-Spirit expands critical conversations on queerness, Indigeneity, and community and simultaneously troubles the idea that articulating a definition of two-spirit is a worthwhile undertaking. Beyond the expansion of these conversations, this book also seeks to empower community members, educators, and young people — both Indigenous and non-Indigenous — to better support the self-determination of trans, queer, and two-spirit Indigenous youth. By including a research zine and community discussion guidelines, Laing demonstrates the possibility of powerful change that comes from Indigenous people creating spaces to share knowledge with one another.

chapter 1|15 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|23 pages

The Emergence of Two-Spirit

chapter 4|29 pages

Two-Spirit as a Hashtag and a Container

chapter 5|28 pages

Roots of the Literal Definition

chapter 6|30 pages

Needs and Desires

chapter 7|7 pages

Conclusion