I’m a transgender male and I want to get back into dancing but I’m not sure where to start. Any tips?
Hello my Two Spirit relative,
How exciting that you are looking to come back into the dancing arbor. It is an exciting time to be exploring this venture. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there like this. There has been a revival of Two Spirit dancers on Turtle Island. Recently there was an article written that shared the story of a Two-Spirit couple and their journey back to dancing.
It is hard for me to say where to start because everyone has a different path to the powwow circle. I would start by talking to a trusted community member about the specific protocols for dancing in your Tribal community. I would also suggest that you reach out to your local Two Spirit Society to see if they have any suggestions and support. There is a National Two Spirit Powwow in San Francisco, you might want to reach out to them about support.
If these supports are not in place for you, reach out to your family and community and start putting your regalia together, practice your dance and put your prayers and medicine into it. We dance not for recognition or prizes; we dance for the healing of the people. We dance for those who cannot dance, who are old and sick. Two Spirit people have a place in our communities to dance. I am proud you for putting your prayers up There is nothing left to do but to do it.
Thank you relative for our question and for dancing for the people.
Auntie Manda
