Learning New Cultures

On Wednesday, I attended the Two Spirit Talk that was extra credit for our English class and I am really glad I went. I had originally gone in to the discussion with a mindset of "ugh I have to sit through this weird talk, but the extra credit is worth it." My mind was completely changed by the end and I left the discussion more open minded and informed on the Two Spirit culture. Sharente Harris was the speaker and he explained how Two Spirits are people who are a part of both indigenous tribes and a part of the LGBT community. He displayed multiple acts of reciprocity toward nature and just everything in general. We have learned in class that indigenous people prioritize this idea and he proved that throughout his whole discussion. Hearing him talk reminded me of "Braiding Sweetgrass" and the Silko essays we read in class when it comes to appreciating nature. It was also intriguing to hear about the LGBT side to this culture because I now understand how hard it must be to be unaccepted by your own community. Sharente has been through so much and I admire him for being strong and proud of who he is.

As a dancer, it was also really cool to see how the Narragansett people dance compared to what I see when I dance. I am used to ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, and many more, but Sharente showed a type of dance that I have never seen anything like before. The fancy shawl dance was exhibited by Sharente and it was different than what I am used to. They used a large shawl that looked almost like butterfly wings and jumped around. This was a new sight to me considering my dance studio doesn't offer fancy shawl classes. But, as a tap dancer I saw some similarities as well, such as kicking and difficult footwork. I could see that Sharente was very devoted to his dancing and will do anything to fight for his ability to continue with it. I learned a lot from the Two Spirit Talk as I had never heard of this group before and I appreciated hearing about his life.