Two-Spirit (also
two spirit or
twospirit) is a modern
umbrella term used by some
indigenous North Americans to describe
gender-variant individuals in their communities. The term was adopted in 1990 at an Indigenous lesbian and gay international gathering to encourage the replacement of the anthropological term
berdache. It is a spiritual role that is recognized and confirmed by the Two-Spirit's indigenous community. While some have found the term a useful tool for intertribal organizing, not all Native cultures conceptualize gender this way, and most tribes use names in their own languages. While
pan-Indian terms are not always appropriate or welcome, the term has generally received more acceptance and use than the term it replaced.