#tybyra

Two-Spirit

Two-Spirit is a term created by Indigenous peoples of North America in 1990 to bring together the diverse gender identities and sexualities that exist within their cultures.

It is not a single gender. Each nation has its own traditions, names, and ways of understanding these experiences.

For many communities, Two-Spirit people held important social, cultural, and spiritual roles before European colonization.

The term should not be used by non-Indigenous people, as it is specifically connected to the cultures and experiences of the Indigenous peoples of North America.

Irawhiti (Māori)

Irawhiti is a Māori-language term used by some people to describe transgender or gender-diverse experiences.

The term is part of the contemporary revitalization of Māori language and culture, allowing Indigenous people to describe their identities through their own cultural frameworks.

Although it may be translated as "transgender" in some contexts, Irawhiti carries meanings connected to Māori cultural realities and should not be understood simply as a copy of Western gender categories. ( Flag design by Irauí on Tumblr. ) @irawhiti

takatāpui (Māori)

Takatāpui is a Māori term used by Indigenous LGBTQIA+ people in New Zealand.

Historically, the word referred to an intimate relationship between people of the same sex.

Today, many Māori people use the term to express both their Indigenous identity and their gender or sexual diversity.

More than a specific sexual orientation or gender identity, Takatāpui connects a person to their culture, ancestry, and community.

The term is part of the Māori cultural revitalization movement and demonstrates that gender and sexual diversity can be understood through Indigenous perspectives, not only through Western categories. ( Flag design by Irauí on Tumblr. ) @irawhiti

Māhū (Kanaka Maōli)

Māhū is a traditional Hawaiian cultural identity associated with people who embody both masculine and feminine qualities.

Historically, māhū people held important roles as educators, keepers of knowledge, healers, and transmitters of cultural traditions.

The arrival of colonization and Christian missions attempted to erase these identities, but many Native Hawaiians continue to preserve and revitalize the māhū identity today.

Māhū is not simply the Hawaiian equivalent of "transgender" or "nonbinary." It is a distinct cultural identity deeply connected to Hawaiian history, culture, and spirituality.

Tibira/ Tybyra

Tibira is a historical figure documented during the colonial period.

According to interpretations by Indigenous researchers and collectives, Tibira may be understood as a man who had relationships with other men, or as a person who lived with a feminine gender identity or expression, challenging the norms imposed by colonizers.

Their story is remembered as an example that gender and sexual diversity already existed among Indigenous peoples long before colonization. ( Made by me )

Çacoaimbeguira

Accounts of the Tupinambá people mention the çacoaimbeguiras.

According to interpretations by Indigenous researchers and collectives, they may be understood as women who had relationships with other women, or as people who lived with a masculine gender identity or expression outside the norms imposed by colonization.

Photo credit: Isis Medeiros

I've talked about this in previous posts, but I wanted to dedicate one specifically to the creation of these two flags: Tibira and Çacoaimbeguira.

As some of you know, I'm Brazilian and Indigenous from the Potiguara people. What many people don't know is that some Indigenous peoples in Brazil had their own ways of understanding gender long before colonization.

Today, these identities are being reclaimed by Indigenous LGBT people, especially among peoples of the Tupi linguistic family. Tibira and Çacoaimbeguira are associated with Tupinambá traditions, but because the Potiguara are also part of the Tupi family, some Potiguara people identify as Tybyra or Çacoaimbeguira as well. I personally identify as Tybyra.

Before talking about the flags themselves, here's a brief explanation of each identity.

Tibira / Tybyra

Tibira is a historical figure documented during the colonial period.

According to interpretations by Indigenous researchers and collectives, Tibira may be understood as a man who had relationships with other men, or as a person who lived with a feminine gender identity or expression, challenging the norms imposed by colonizers.

Their story is remembered as an example that gender and sexual diversity already existed among Indigenous peoples long before colonization.

Çacoaimbeguira

Accounts of the Tupinambá people mention the çacoaimbeguiras.

According to interpretations by Indigenous researchers and collectives, they may be understood as women who had relationships with other women, or as people who lived with a masculine gender identity or expression outside the norms imposed by colonization.

Their existence shows that diverse ways of experiencing gender and sexuality were already part of Indigenous societies long before the imposition of European models.

Both flags were created by me as artistic interpretations inspired by these histories and by the ongoing efforts of Indigenous LGBT people to reconnect with their cultures, ancestors, and ways of understanding identity.

Reference : Duplo Orgulho: LGBTQIAPN+ indígenas no Brasil

Diversity Before Colonization

Long before colonization, many Indigenous peoples recognized ways of experiencing gender and sexuality that did not fit into rigid categories of man and woman.

Nádleehi, Winkte, Lhamana, Sipiniq, Biakara, Kyrypy-meno, Kudina, Hawakyni, Takatāpui, and Māhū are just a few examples....

Each people has its own history, language, and way of understanding these experiences.