Teaching Gender Identity in the Classroom (Ages 12-14)

“Since contact, we have learned to judge and condemn our two-spirited people.”

Two-Spirited presents the empowering story of Rodney “Geeyo” Poucette, struggle as a two-spirited person (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) against prejudice in the Indigenous community. Two-Spirited is a film that can be used to examine a range of themes, including intersectional identity, the impact of colonialism, and Indigenous cultural practices.

I used this film in my Canadian history class as a “minds on” activity before a lesson on challenging dominant narratives in Indigenous history. We made a mind map about the intersectional identities of two-spirited people, which led to a greater discussion around oppression and resilience of marginalized groups. Most of my students were not familiar with the term two-spirited, so they were interested in learning more about Rodney’s experience.