The 'berdache'/'two-spirit': a comparison of anthropological and native constructions of gendered identities among the Northern Athapaskans.

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, December, 1996 by Goulet, Jean-Guy A.

This article examines accounts of cross-sex reincarnation among the Dene Tha of Northern Alberta, Canada, and shows how the Dene Tha constitute dual gender identities through processes of dream interpretation and socialization. In doing so, the article challenges recent claims that the status of 'berdache' exists among Northern Athapaskans, and illustrates the danger of applying anthropological concepts to Northern Athapaskan social practices without adequate consideration of indigenous ideas and social contexts.

Introduction

This article argues that anthropologists have conceptualized gender variance among Native North Americans without paying sufficient attention to the ways in which indigenous practices 'construct members of a community "as" woman or "as" man...

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