The Two-Spirit Reality
Like many people, I have been in mourning for the artist and activist Jonathan Joss. Best known for his comedic acting career, Joss (Comanche/White Mountain Apache) was murdered at his home in an act that, as of this writing, law enforcement do not consider a hate crime. Joss identified as a member of the LGBTQ community and as a Two-Spirit person; he was also an outspoken advocate for Indigenous, Two-Spirit, and LGBTQ rights. His murder was not only a devastating loss but a traumatic reminder of the multiple, interlocking risks that Two-Spirit people face.
Red Dress imagery, which emphasizes Indigenous femininity, has been critiqued as gender essentialist, particularly in its potential erasure of Two-Spirit people. With this in mind, I wanted to create a garment that incorporated a men’s red dress shirt and specifically invoked Two-Spirit imagery.
Joss’s face, lined with the rainbow, adorns the breast pocket. Two feathers, evocative of the feathers from the Two-Spirit pride flag, decorate the back.
miskobagizi 