Completing The Circle: How One Youth Found Their True Self

Indigenous culture varies throughout every tribe in the Americas. In several Native American and Indigenous First Nations tribes, a sacred traditional type of medicine is through dance. Indigenous dances are very different than what’s popular in the mainstream now. Additionally, there is also a unique gender identity that is specific to many Indigenous tribes, which is called Two-Spirit. Two-Spirited individuals fulfill a traditional third-gender social and ceremonial role in Indigenous culture. They do not connect with the masculine nor the feminine, but that of which exists in between. Two-Spirited individuals are believed to be blessed by the Creator to see life through the eyes of such a unique identity. Two-Spirit identity only exists within Native American/First Nation/Indigenous tribes for members who are genderqueer, gender fluid, and gender non-conforming. Only Indigenous people can claim Two-Spirit identity, and are often seen as sacred since the identity itself is sacred.   

Sherenté Mishitashin Harris is a Two-Spirit youth belonging to the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island.  Harris, a 20-year-old Indigenous and transgender activist, spoke on their life during a TEDxURI Talk at the University of Rhode Island, titled “Complete the Circle”. Harris identifies with He/She/They pronouns, however the “they/them” pronoun will be used here in reference to Harris. Harris opens their talk with a powerful quote, “Within my life as an Indigenous, Two-Spirit youth, the most controversial act I’ve ever committed was being myself.” Harris created change at 16 years old, when they came out as Two-Spirit and danced at powwows in a style traditionally only performed by women. Born biologically male, this was an extremely brave and revolutionary act. “Indigenous people today live within cultures of tradition. It is the foundation of who we are as people; yet some can use traditions to gain leverage over others to exclude others from tradition. Two-Spirit people in the past have been kicked out of our powwow circle.” Says Harris. Powwows are an opportunity for Indigenous peoples to give thanks and reunite as people. Traditional dances are a very common way for Indigenous Peoples to show our thanks at powwows. As a child, Harris danced in the style of their father, as an Eastern War dancer. After coming out at 16, Harris began to dance in the style of their mother, Fancy Shawl. Fancy Shawl is a newer dance that was created during the women’s rights movement. Women altered the common traditions across intertribal communities. Harris describes this dance by comparing it to older traditional dances, “Instead of dancing to a slow beat close to the mother earth, they were lifting their feet high, floating on their toes … So this dance is a dance of liberation.”   

Harris explains that when they began to dance in this new style, they had a very small group of support. When Harris went out into their tribal community to “dance in a way that my heart asked, I felt naked and alone.” Harris explains that when they were ready to give up what they had been working over a year on, an “overwhelming abundance of love and support came into my world.” Harris faced resistance from officials at many competitions, but ultimately went on to be named grand champion at Dartmouth College’s 45^th annual powwow in 2017. After Harris’s talk is finished, they show a two-minute demonstration of Fancy Shawl, in their traditional regalia that is exploding with color, and shows itself beautifully coupled with the lively dance style.   

Fancy Shawl happens to be one of my favorite styles of Indigenous dance. Sherenté Harris is an extremely talented and beautiful dancer. The Narragansett tribe, which Harris belongs to, has a close relation to the Mohegan tribe, which I belong to. Due to the allyship between our tribes, both the Narragansett and Mohegans unite often at powwows and other socials. I was blessed to be acquainted with Harris in 2018 at an intertribal youth social that both of our tribes participated in. Harris is a wonderful person who walks the earth with grace and pride. Harris will continue to make a change and set a precedent for future Two-Spirit generations.