#we:wa

[queerasfact]

Happy Trans Awareness Week! We’ll be highlighting different trans and gender diverse people from history throughout the week, looking today at Zuni craftsperson and ambassador, We’wha. Here’s a few facts to get you started:

We’wha was a lhamana - a Zuni gender combining masculine and feminine social roles, as well as some unique lhamana roles

In 1885, We’wha travelled to Washington DC as an ambassador of Zuni culture, and met US President Grover Cleveland.

When US soldiers came to arrest their brother in 1892, We’wha fought them off, bodily throwing an officer out of the house

Check out our podcast if you want to learn more!

[Image: We’wha, a Zuni lhamana with a dark bob, wearing a Zuni dress, blanket and necklace (1894)]

[queerasfact]

We'wha is the Google doodle for November 1st in the U.S. in honor of Native American Heritage Month! Just as we heard in the episode, different people use different pronouns, but I still thought it was interesting and overall encouraging to see a person who doesn't fit into the gender binary depicted on a platform with so wide a reach and audience! Immediately thought of you all!

Thank you for letting us know! I don't think we got this google doodle in Australia, so it was great to have people tell us about it. I have just checked it out - I love the way they talk about We'wha and that they got a Zuni artist in to do the doodle!

If anyone is interested in having a look and learning more, go check it out.

-Alice