As part of a monthlong recognition of Native American heritage and this week’s coinciding Trans* Awareness Week at ASU, representatives from ASU’s Project Humanities initiative held a screening of the film “Two Spirits” and discussed the marginalization of minorities with students and community members.
“Two Spirits” follows the story of Fred Martinez, a nádleehi — a Navajo man with feminine features. According to his culture, his features were a gift, but they ultimately led to Martinez’s death at 16.
The film explores the concepts of sexuality and race in society and how they interact with one another. It’s a topic Humanities initiative founder and ASU professor Neal Lester believes needs to be talked about.
“This opens us up to a worldview that can be invigorating,” Lester said. He said people aren’t always comfortable speaking about topics like sexuality and race, which often go overlooked as a result.
“There is a certain invisibility about Indian cultures,” he said. Sometimes race, which itself can be a barrier, overshadows problems affecting specific subgroups such as the transgender community, he said.
After the film, attendees discussed the marginalization of subgroups.
Phoenix resident Joan Crawford said violence toward minority groups occurs because attackers don’t see the individuals as completely human.
“I think about how important it is at school that we accept and respect those students who are exploring their gender,” she said.
Lester helped moderate the discussion with several ASU students and community members about the issues brought forth by the film. He said the aim of the discussion was to have the community “talk, listen and connect” with the world around them.
ASU student Logan Tredinnick said the event gave him a different point of view.
“It’s something I wasn’t expecting,” he said. “I was raised in a Southern household and was taught that men should be men and women should be women.”
Lester believes that having this discussion is a great place to start tackling these issues. If the public is well-informed, they can make a difference, he said.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but we can start looking at things we can control,” he said. “Having these discussions allows us to look at why we fear what we don’t understand.”
Contact the reporter at steven.hernandez.2@asu.edu
