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MyStory: Two-Spirits, One Woman
by Carolyn Woodall
Female, Native, activist, athlete, writer, poet. Add two-spirited to this list and you have the sum though not the whole of Percy Lezard. Born of the Okanogan First Nations, this 31 year old social worker inspires by personal example, fulfilling her destiny as a two-spirited person.
"Two-spirited means having a male and female spirit walking in balance," explains Lezard.
Traditionally, among the First Nations Peoples, two-spirited people were considered a gift from the Creator, and revered as holders of great knowledge. More recently the term has come to mean gay or lesbian, at least to non-Native speakers.
Lezard, a woman's rights activist and a team Gold Medalist in the 2002 Gay Games, also knows the term 'tow-spirited' means more than that. "Two-spirited is a gift to provide education. We teach the People...who (we) sleep with defines (our) sexuality."
Lezard knew she was queer at a very young age. By the age of 13 years she knew she was different from her other friends. "They would talk about guys and marriage, and I never did."
At the age of 15, Lezard finally told her family. "My fear was that my parents would kick me out, not let me come back to my community. And that would be a living death sentence."
"I thought they would associate my sexuality with the abuse they suffered from the Fathers and nuns at the residential schools who were same sex."
Lezard's revelation came as no surprise to her mother who had suspected the truth for some time. However, her courage also gave two of her siblings the courage and opportunity to come out into the open about their sexuality. "My brother who is one year older is gay and my younger sister is bisexual. And I suspect my other younger sister is two-spirited."
The balance that comes with being two-spirited allows Lezard to help others outside of her immediate family as well. "Everything I've always done created a change or effect. I'm always trying to learn; changing and improving my life. I was the first of my family to go to public school, high school and now university."
In her work and in her personal life Lezard uses her gift to effect positive change, but she still becomes frustrated occasionally when she sees non-Natives appropriating Native traditions.
"I think the gay/lesbian non-native community commodifies me as a two-spirited woman."
"Being Native is an 'in' thing to do. I feel commodified or tokenized at times."
"They want to take part in our ceremonies, our community feasts. They have sage, tobacco, cedar at home. I say to them 'do you know the teachings behind it?' They have dream-catchers in their cars, but 'was it gifted to them or did they buy it from some non-native person?'"
Lezard believes this type of casual cultural appropriation signifies a move away from ordained religion but she still remains concerned that her culture is being exploited.
"(This is) a society of quick fixes. People are starving for a spiritual quick fix. And it doesn't work like that. We're not there for that."
Although Lezard refrains from giving advice she does have one final comment. "You have to walk in balance…I live my life by example. At the end of the day I live my life knowing I've learned something new everyday."
Two-spirited is more than sexuality, it is a symbol of balance. A balance Percy Lezard strives successfully to embody.
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