Name: Kai Pyle
Title: Assistant Professor, Gender & Women’s Studies and American Indian & Indigenous Studies
Hometown: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Educational/professional background:
Although I started college at the University of Chicago, I completed my BA in First Nations Studies at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. For grad school, I went straight to a PhD program in American Studies at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
What is your field of research, and how did you get into it?
My research focuses on queer, trans, and Two-Spirit Indigenous experiences in North America, especially in Anishinaabe and Metis communities. I really got involved with this when I was living in Minnesota and participating in Indigenous language immersion programs. I found that I needed words to describe my gender when not speaking English—Anishinaabemowin doesn’t use gendered pronouns so there’s no way to say “My pronouns are they/them”! I applied for a summer grant to research archival sources and oral tradition to find the ways that Anishinaabe people have talked about gender diversity in our language, and from there the project just snowballed.
What attracted you to UW-Madison?
I really love Wisconsin, having grown up here and having deep roots in this region, so I was happy to be able to return. I also really appreciate the long history of Indigenous activism and queer activism on campus.
What was your first visit to campus like?
I first visited campus when I was 17 years old, looking at colleges. I remember being in awe of how the campus was so integrated into the city and just how many students were out and about during passing periods. There’s also a great photo of me at the Pyle Center, pointing up at the sign – there’s no relation but it was funny to see my name on a college campus back then!
Do you feel your work relates in any way to the Wisconsin Idea? If so, please describe how.
I really appreciate the Wisconsin Idea because my work is very much done with community beyond the university in mind. I know that there are lots more young queer Indigenous people out there in Wisconsin and beyond who are wondering about their histories like I was, and I want everything I do to benefit them. On the flip side, I hope that I can help non-Native and non-LGBTQ people understand how Two-Spirit people have always been a central part of history in Wisconsin and North America.
What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter at parties, now that we can attend them again?
That the term “Two-Spirit” is actually relatively recent, even though it describes roles with much older roots. Myra Laramee, a Cree/Metis/Anishinaabe lesbian elder, received a dream in 1990 (dreams being an important part of Indigenous spirituality) that led to “Two-Spirit” being adopted widely by queer and trans Indigenous people who felt it described their unique experience as LGBTQ AND Indigenous in ways no other English words did at the time.
Hobbies/other interests:
In addition to my academic writing, I’m also a creative writer of fiction, poetry, and essays in English, Anishinaabemowin, and Michif. I also am very involved in language revitalization and have really enjoyed meeting other Indigenous language learners at the weekly UW Indigenous language table!