Two-Spirit Beings, Gatekeeping, and Cultural Exclusion: We Were Always Here, But we are Just not There Yet—Reflections from IIVSW Conference 2025
Keywords:
Indigenous, Indigenous Identity, Two-Spirit, Gender, ColonizationAbstract
This paper reflects my participation in the International Indigenous Voices in Social Work conference held in August 2025 in Calgary, Alberta. My reflections are based on the broader conference discussions and participant questions that arose from my presentation on Anishinaabeg Two-Spirit identities, as well as those from other conference presenters. The discussion highlights that current cultural practices, such as gatekeeping, policing protocols, and skirt shaming, persist as significant challenges within the broader community. I offer a reflection and awareness that inclusion is not the problem; rather, it is exclusion under the guise of preserving and protecting cultural teachings. Social workers, educators, and community leaders are called to confront and address these embedded, hostile perspectives that perpetuate gendered exclusions.
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References
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