Indigenous Feminism in Therapy: Embracing Gender Sovereignty and Fostering Healing

Introduction: Understanding Indigenous Feminism

Indigenous feminism is a dynamic, evolving framework that seeks to dismantle both settler colonialism and patriarchy. It addresses the unique intersections of gender, race, culture, and colonization, challenging deeply ingrained systems of oppression that have historically marginalized Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, trans, and nonbinary individuals. These individuals face dual layers of marginalization: the colonial imposition of rigid gender norms and patriarchal structures, alongside the erasure of Indigenous identities and roles.

As therapists working with trans*, queer, and gender-diverse adults, we are tasked with creating spaces that recognize and address these overlapping forms of oppression. By embracing Indigenous feminism, we apply an anti-oppressive approach that honours the lived experiences of those affected by colonial violence. In doing so, we not only validate our clients’ struggles but also offer a path toward healing through cultural reclamation and self-determination.

Indigenous feminism is more than a response to mainstream feminist movements—it is a reclamation of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. It resists colonial frameworks that reduce Indigenous women and gender-diverse individuals to passive subjects, instead emphasizing their agency, sovereignty, and the vital roles they hold within their communities. As Chelsea Vowel notes in Indigenous Writes, understanding these historical and cultural roles, especially for Two-Spirit individuals, is crucial. These roles often carried significant spiritual and social significance (Vowel, 2016, p. 130). Recognizing this allows therapists to create culturally affirming spaces where gender diversity is seen not as an anomaly, but as a vital part of the Indigenous worldview.

Therapeutic Implications of Indigenous Feminism

For therapists, Indigenous feminism offers a framework to inform our practice, particularly when working with Two-Spirit, trans, or nonbinary clients. Many of these clients may feel isolated—not only due to their gender identity but also because of the disconnect between their personal experiences and the dominant narratives around gender. Indigenous feminism provides a lens that challenges these narratives, centering Indigenous cultural understandings of gender as fluid and diverse.

By incorporating Indigenous feminist principles into therapy, we help clients engage in the process of decolonizing their identities—unlearning colonial gender norms. This journey can be deeply personal and at times painful, but it also leads to empowerment and self-discovery. For example, when working with a Two-Spirit client, traditional cultural practices and roles may be explored to affirm their identity. Indigenous feminism helps clients see their gender as something to celebrate and honour, not hide or fix. This aligns with the movement’s goal of restoring the respect historically afforded to gender-diverse individuals in Indigenous communities.

Additionally, Indigenous feminism offers an intersectional, decolonial lens that is invaluable in both therapeutic practice and personal exploration. The struggles of Indigenous women and gender-diverse individuals are inseparable from the broader contexts of colonization, racism, and cultural erasure. Acknowledging this allows therapists to provide more effective support. By embracing an intersectional approach, we can address the compounded oppressions that our clients experience based on their gender, race, and cultural identity.

In summary, Indigenous feminism offers a critical framework for therapists working with trans*, queer, and gender-diverse individuals. It invites us to engage in the work of decolonization, both within ourselves and in our practice, while creating spaces where clients can explore and reclaim their identities in ways that honour their cultural heritage. This approach not only supports individual healing but also contributes to the broader effort of resisting colonial and patriarchal systems.

Two-Spirit and Nonbinary Identities in Indigenous Feminism

A fundamental tenet of Indigenous feminism is the reclamation of Two-Spirit identities, which existed long before colonial systems imposed rigid gender binaries. Historically, Two-Spirit people held significant roles in their societies, embodying both masculine and feminine energies. Often revered as healers, mediators, and spiritual leaders, Two-Spirit individuals were central to maintaining balance and harmony within their communities. However, colonialism disrupted these roles, imposing binary and patriarchal gender frameworks that erased Indigenous understandings of gender fluidity.

Indigenous feminism seeks to reclaim and revitalize these roles, challenging the colonial imposition of rigid gender norms. For therapists working with Two-Spirit and nonbinary clients, acknowledging the cultural significance of these identities can be transformative. It helps to create therapeutic spaces where clients feel seen and affirmed in both their gender identity and their cultural heritage. As Chelsea Vowel emphasizes in Indigenous Writes, affirming Two-Spirit identities is essential for supporting Indigenous gender-diverse clients, as these identities are deeply embedded within Indigenous cultural and spiritual practices (Vowel, 2016, p. 128).

Therapeutic Implications: Culturally Affirming Spaces

Recognizing the historical significance of Two-Spirit identities in therapy is not merely an act of cultural competence—it is an act of decolonization. Embracing this knowledge helps clients navigate the complex intersections of gender identity, cultural identity, and the trauma of colonialism. Therapy might involve exploring traditional practices like storytelling, ceremony, or art therapy, all of which provide clients with tools to reconnect with their cultural roots and affirm their gender identity.

For instance, art therapy can offer a safe and creative space for Two-Spirit clients to express their experiences of navigating cultural and gender marginalization. By using cultural imagery, symbols, and colours, clients can reimagine their identity in ways that honour both their gender fluidity and their Indigenous heritage. Storytelling and ritual can similarly help clients reconnect with narratives that celebrate gender diversity, fostering a sense of cultural pride and belonging.

This process of reclaiming identity is deeply healing, particularly for those who have experienced marginalization within both Indigenous communities and broader society. Therapists must create spaces where this exploration is not only permitted but celebrated. In doing so, we contribute to the broader work of decolonization, restoring the rightful place of Two-Spirit and nonbinary individuals within their communities.

Challenges and Healing: Addressing Marginalization

Two-Spirit individuals often face multiple layers of marginalization. Not only have they been erased from historical narratives by colonial forces, but they may also experience exclusion within their own communities due to the internalization of colonial gender norms. This can lead to a deep sense of cultural disconnection and isolation, making it even more crucial for therapists to approach their work with sensitivity, compassion, and a commitment to decolonizing practices.

In therapy, it is essential to recognize these layers of marginalization and work actively toward healing the wounds caused by both colonial and internalized oppression. As Vowel notes, the erasure of Two-Spirit roles within Indigenous societies is part of a broader pattern of colonial violence aimed at suppressing Indigenous ways of being, including gender fluidity (Vowel, 2016, p. 130). By affirming Two-Spirit and nonbinary identities in therapy, we help clients reclaim their cultural heritage and restore their sense of self-worth.

Inclusion of Trans Women in Indigenous Feminism

A particularly transformative aspect of Indigenous feminism is its inclusivity, especially in relation to trans women. While mainstream feminism has often excluded or marginalized trans women, Indigenous feminism fundamentally embraces gender diversity, rejecting colonial binaries. This reclamation of gender fluidity challenges Western norms that seek to erase nonbinary and trans identities, reaffirming the integral role of trans women in the movement for gender justice.

Jodi Byrd, in Critically Sovereign, highlights how Indigenous feminist movements are actively dismantling Western gender norms by centering all gender identities, including those of trans women and nonbinary people (Byrd, 2017, p. 42). This is not just an expansion of feminist ideals but a return to pre-colonial understandings of gender, where trans and gender-diverse individuals played key roles within their communities.

Therapeutic Implications: Creating Inclusive Spaces

The inclusivity of Indigenous feminism provides therapists with a powerful model for creating affirming, culturally informed spaces for trans women. Many trans women of Indigenous descent face compounded effects of colonialism, transphobia, and racism, which create barriers to care and belonging. Centering Indigenous feminist principles in therapy helps create spaces where trans women feel seen, heard, and valued.

For trans women of Indigenous descent, these effects are often amplified by cultural disconnection caused by colonialism. In therapy, we can help trans women reclaim their identity by exploring how colonial forces have shaped their experiences of gender and culture. Integrating traditional stories, ceremonies, or art therapy allows clients to reclaim their identities in ways that affirm both their gender and their cultural heritage.

Intersectionality in Indigenous Feminism: A Holistic Approach to Care

Intersectionality is a foundational element of Indigenous feminism, recognizing that the struggles of Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, trans, and nonbinary individuals are shaped by intersecting oppressions tied to gender, race, culture, and colonialism. Addressing these intersections in therapy allows us to offer more holistic care that affirms clients’ identities while acknowledging the full complexity of their lived experiences.

By grounding our practice in an anti-oppressive, intersectional framework, we empower clients to reclaim their identities in ways that align with Indigenous feminist principles. This approach fosters self-determination, resilience, and healing, helping to restore balance and respect for all gender-diverse individuals.

Reclaiming Gender Sovereignty: Practical Applications in Therapy

Fostering gender sovereignty in therapy involves helping clients reconnect with traditional cultural practices that honour their identity. For Two-Spirit, trans, and nonbinary clients, this may include exploring ceremonies, storytelling, or creative expressions that affirm their gender diversity. As therapists, integrating these practices into therapy allows clients to experience a deeper sense of belonging, cultural pride, and empowerment.

For example, in art therapy, clients can create works incorporating traditional symbols and imagery to reflect their journey toward gender reclamation and self-acceptance. Focusing Oriented Therapy can also be used to help clients reconnect with the embodied sense of their identity, grounding them in their lived experiences of both gender and cultural sovereignty.

Incorporating cultural practices into therapy is particularly powerful because it acknowledges that gender identity is not only a personal experience but also deeply connected to broader contexts such as community, land, and ancestry. For clients who may feel isolated or disconnected from their heritage, exploring these cultural practices provides a pathway to healing. By helping clients reconnect with the broader cultural contexts of their identity, we empower them to reclaim their gender sovereignty in ways that honour both their gender and their cultural traditions.

Indigenous feminism also encourages us to expand our understanding of gender beyond Western frameworks. It emphasizes that true gender sovereignty involves embracing the diversity and fluidity that have always been part of Indigenous cultures. For clients, reclaiming gender sovereignty often involves unlearning colonial narratives that have restricted their self-expression and embracing the gender fluidity that has long been a source of strength within Indigenous societies.

As therapists, our role is to create safe, affirming spaces where clients can explore the complex intersections of gender and culture. By integrating Indigenous feminist principles into our therapeutic practice, we not only help clients affirm their gender identity but also support the reclamation of their cultural heritage. This approach fosters resilience, self-determination, and healing.

Fostering Understanding: Indigenous Feminism and the Path to Reconciliation

Indigenous feminism is deeply intertwined with the broader project of reconciliation. For therapists, it is essential to educate both clients and fellow practitioners about the connections between Indigenous feminism and reconciliation, particularly regarding the harmful effects of colonialism on gender diversity within Indigenous cultures.

As J.R. Miller highlights in Residential Schools and Reconciliation, residential schools were one of the primary tools used by colonial forces to erase Indigenous cultural practices, including gender diversity (Miller, 2017, p. 92). Understanding this history is vital for therapists seeking to support Indigenous clients as they heal from intergenerational trauma and cultural disconnection.

By integrating these historical and cultural understandings into our practice, we can offer more inclusive and affirming care. This approach not only supports individual healing but also contributes to the broader process of cultural restoration. Recognizing the centrality of gender diversity in Indigenous cultures, and the damage inflicted upon it by colonialism, helps guide clients toward a future that honours and respects all forms of gender expression.

Conclusion: A Path Forward for Culturally Affirming and Inclusive Therapy

Indigenous feminism provides a powerful framework for therapists committed to offering gender-affirming, anti-oppressive care. By embracing its principles of gender sovereignty, intersectionality, and cultural reclamation, therapists can create spaces that honour the complexity of clients’ identities. These principles support not only individual healing but also the decolonization of therapy itself, restoring the gender diversity that has always been integral to Indigenous cultures.

Through the active application of these frameworks, we can contribute to both personal healing and the collective work of decolonization. As therapists, our role is not only to provide support but to actively engage in the restoration of cultural integrity, helping clients reclaim their identities in ways that honour both their gender and their cultural heritage.

By adopting Indigenous feminist frameworks, we foster deeper connections between our clients’ lived experiences and their cultural histories, creating a more profound sense of belonging, resilience, and self-empowerment. Ultimately, embracing these frameworks enables us to build inclusive, affirming therapeutic spaces that recognize the unique intersections of identity that Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, trans, and nonbinary individuals navigate.

In practice, this means offering therapeutic interventions that acknowledge the historical and systemic forces at play, creating room for healing, reflection, and cultural reclamation. The path forward involves an ongoing commitment to decolonizing therapy and supporting the resurgence of Indigenous knowledge and practices, particularly in relation to gender.

In doing so, we not only contribute to the well-being of individual clients but also to the broader movement for justice, reconciliation, and the restoration of Indigenous gender diversity—a diversity that has always been a source of strength, balance, and harmony within Indigenous cultures.

Let’s Continue the Conversation

If the ideas in this blog resonate with you, I warmly invite you to connect with me. Whether you’re a therapist seeking to deepen your understanding of Indigenous feminist frameworks, or someone navigating gender identity and looking for support, I’m here to help. You may book individual therapy sessions or peer consultations online. Be sure to bookmark this blog for future insights, reflections, and updates.

References

Byrd, J. A. (2017). Critically sovereign: Indigenous gender, sexuality, and feminist studies. Duke University Press.

Miller, J. R. (2017). Residential schools and reconciliation: Canada confronts its history. University of Toronto Press.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. (2016). A knock on the door: The essential history of residential schools. University of Manitoba Press.

Vowel, C. (2016). Indigenous writes: A guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit issues in Canada. HighWater Press.