2-Spirit Indigenous Health Care and Cultural Humility

Colonization introduced devastating intergenerational effects on health that continue to impact “2-spirit” Indigenous people who experience poor health outcomes. Nurse practitioners (NPs) can improve health outcomes by addressing harmful implicit bias in health care settings, especially toward Indigenous gender-diverse individuals in Canada. Through cultural humility, NPs can implement meaningful clinical interventions that aim to promote positive health and wellness. For all NPs working with gender-diverse populations, important first steps include self-reflective practice and enhanced cultural knowledge. NPs can incorporate Indigenous healing strategies as clinical interventions and use strength-based approaches to provide safe, high-quality care for this vulnerable population. •Two-spirit is a term that denotes an Indigenous person as having internal masculine and feminine energies.•In Canadian communities, 2-spirit people are highly revered and hold integral cultural roles.•Gender and sexual fluidity are traditionally revered as an Indigenous societal norm.•Nurse practitioners (NPs) can dismantle Westernized health care barriers and improve 2-spirit well-being.•NPs can help this vulnerable population access safe, meaningful, high-quality care.