By joseph R. Castel
Since September 2023, Disney+ subscribers have had the chance to watch a 20-minute short film about a Northern Cheyenne Two-Spirit teen, entitled “The Roof.” The film was released as part of the second season of Disney’s platform, “Launchpad.” The program series’ focuses on developing underrepresented directors and writers with diverse backgrounds by providing them funding and a platform to exhibit their work.
“The Roof,” tells the coming-of-age story of a Two-Spirit Northern Cheyenne teenager (played by Phoenix Wilson) who is sent to live with their grandfather (played by Academy-Award winner Wes Studi). The two learn to connect as the teen gains an understanding of what it means to be Two-Spirit, while the grandfather opens up about the traumas of his own life (Eat your heart out, Ron DeSantis; Disney is alive and a-Woke).
However, because I’m not a Disney + subscriber, I knew nothing about this fascinating story, until I met the actual Two-Spirit casting director for this film at the National Association Latino Independent Producers conference this past June in Hollywood. Candido Cornejo Jr. is a Latinx Indigenous trans casting professional with over 14 years of experience in the entertainment industry with such prominent credits that includes ‘Kiss Of The Spider Woman’, the Freeform hit show ‘The Fosters’, and the reboot production of ‘Zoot Suit’ for the Center Theatre Group. Cornejo led the NALIP workshop discussion on “Preparing for Agents and Managers.”
At the NALIP panel that she was moderating, Cornejo wore traditional Tlaxcalteca women’s regalia, in full fabulous make-up and braided hair. I’ve always admired Two-Spirit people in Native American cultures, so I was immediately drawn to Cornejo’s discussion of how she identified as Two-Spirit.
The casting director is a member of the Tlaxcalteca and Nahua people and currently participates in traditional dances at pow-wows around the country. “I grew up in Madras, Oregon. I have an auntie who lives on Warm Springs reservation, so it was kind of normal for me to go to pow-wows as a kid. But I never really connected the two.”
But what exactly is Two-Spirit? “Two-Spirit is an umbrella term that came out of an Indigenous gathering in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in 1990,” explains Cornejo. “There are hundreds of tribes, and many have their own specific terms to describe tribal members who have social and gender roles that exist beyond the Western gender binary. It’s a pan-Indigenous term to connect these identities and build community. Cornejo adds that many Elders describe how Two-Spirit individuals were highly revered amongst their people. “Depending on what tribe they’re from, we were matchmakers, medicine people, and warriors,” says Cornejo.
Although, Two-Spirit people come from Native American/First Nations culture, Cornejo stresses that even though she’s received tremendous support on her reconnecting journey from many families in pow wow communities, there are some individuals that still have issues with Two-Spirit people. Any negative attitude towards Two-Spirit people, Cornejo believes is because of colonized mindsets.
“I’ve been fortunate to be welcomed and guided by so many wonderful people on this journey. I’m still very new, but I’ve been putting much time and effort into this. I was gifted my regalia, which is a tremendous deal. The first time in the arena in full regalia was at the Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit Pow Wow last year, and the welcoming was incredibly moving. And when I set foot in the arena at my first pow wow in Los Angeles, I was very nervous. But I heard someone behind me go, ‘Welcome, Two-Spirit!’ I turned around and it was an Elder, and she hugged me. And it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life.
“My experience has been mostly this until I encountered someone that questioned me wearing my regalia: one, for being a non-enrolled member, and two, because according to her, she ‘actually pushed babies out of her’. It was a very shocking thing to hear quite frankly. But I understood in that moment, that many of my siblings, go through this. I’ve heard stories of my Two Spirit relatives be treated similarly and quit dancing because of it. That rejection is unfortunately not unfamiliar to us in the 2LGBTQ+ as a whole. Colonization has demonized who we are. We were literally massacred. It still happens. So, I kept dancing. And the amount of people that came up to me and encouraged me to keep dancing, to keep showing up, was overwhelming. That’s why a film like “The Roof” is so important.”
Serving as the casting director on the Disney + film has been a highlight for the Los Angelino. The film’s casting budget was small, but Cornejo also knew that Academy Award winner, actor Wes Studi is an ally to the Two Spirit community, and the film’s creatives agreed to reach out to him to see if he would be interested in playing the grandfather. He read the script, liked it, and accepted the part.
“I also felt it was my duty to reach out to the actual Two-Spirit community. It was important to the filmmakers.” Cornejo hired recognizable icons like Landa Lakes, John M. Sneezy, Buffalo Barbie, L. Frank Manriquez, Geronimo Louie, and Jojo Jackson.
The movie was a hit, not just because of its beautiful story, but because the Two Spirit community was able to see themselves on screen. They saw recognizable figures play themselves on a major platform. The seats in film festivals were filled by many that were moved, and even more importantly, many that were educated.
“John Sneezy would hate that I would call him an Elder,” Cornejo laughs, “but that’s really what he is to me. When I cast this film, we connected and he was so moved that we gathered so many Two Spirit people to tell this story, that he decided to dress me in his regalia and teach me to dance. It’s how my journey started. He braided my hair and told me the stories of each dance he knew, where the dresses came from. And before I knew it I had other’s join him, braiding my hair and trying on extra pieces of jewelry and belts. They became my aunties. And I was walked into the arena and became a dancer in the film.
“John would tragically pass away before the film’s premier. It’s been incredibly heartbreaking for me. But I know that he would want that generosity and kindness to be passed on. So, I use that strength to keep moving forward and hopefully create space for other Two Spirit people out there, just as it was made for me. It’s why I continue to do what I do, as a casting director, and now a dancer.”
Cornejo is a jingle dress dancer which is a healing dance of the Anishanabe. Her Coming Out Special as a dancer will be on her one-year anniversary as a dancer at the Bay Area American Indian Two Spirit Pow Wow in San Francisco, February 2025.