transphobia in the indigenous community

i've noticed a lot of transphobia in native american communities. i see many natives being hateful towards the queer community, and while it could be plain old uneducated bigotry, i believe there's a deeper cause that no one is really looking into.

many indigenous tribes have recognized the existence of more than two genders for hundreds of years. gender non-conformity and gender expression have been a large part of native american tribes since the beginning. two-spirit, a label that is now often included in the lgbtq+ community, has come to represent the experiences of third, fourth, fifth, etc. genders among native americans. while the term itself was only coined in the 80s-90s, the experience itself is not new. putting aside the other atrocities committed during the 'discovery' of the americas, indigenous gender expression was often mocked and ridiculed. if you are two-spirit, most people will consider you to be transgender, non binary, or just generally queer. that is, by definition, true. however, if a two-spirit individual does not want to identify as queer, that is their decision only.

now, as i mentioned, there is an abundance of transphobic native american people. i, personally, believe that this stems from a place of internalized racism. racial minorities of all backgrounds have a chance of experiencing some form of internalized racism, whether its a belief instilled by the people around them, or by history itself.

indigenous people rejecting transgender identities is hypocritical and, in my opinion, makes no sense. it is not up to me what people support or dont support. however, to reject something that has been a part of your own ancestry and culture for hundreds of years, has a certain air of self hatred.

note: i am native american and i am speaking from my own experience.