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Born c.1849 at Zuni (now in New Mexico), We’wha was a lhamana - a Zuni gender including both masculine and feminine roles. Lhamana in general and We’wha in particular were recognised as highly skilled craftspeople. In 1885, We’wha travelled to Washington DC as a representative of the Zuni people, where they worked with anthropologists and the Smithsonian museum to demonstrate and share information about Zuni crafts and culture. Check out our podcast on We’wha to learn more!
I made this piece in honor of all the queer folks that came before us, especially the gender nonconforming ones. Many are not famous or well known, and that is on purpose. It hangs on my wall.
People mentioned here: Billy Tipton, Murray Hall, Charley Parkhurst, Joseph Israel Lobdell, John Smith and James Pratt, Mademoiselle de Beaumont, Lili Elbe, Kuchek Hanem, We'wha, Olha Koby Iianska, Akiko Uosano, Marcela Gracia Ibeas and Elisa Sanchez Loriga, Bayard Ruston, Yukio, Arthur Berloget, Bowery Queen, Zimri Lim, Ela, Sylvia Brake, James Clay, Albert Cashier, Public Universal Friend, Jack Bee Garland, Mary Jones, Thomas Hall, Boulton and Park, Sammy Williams, Nell Pickerell
Threadless
LGBTQ+ History! We'Wha
Continuing on from my last post, let's look at another gender-non-conforming historic figure in celebration of Trans Awareness Month!
We'wha was a Zuni Native American from the 19th century who gained notoriety and fame for their prolific work as a cultural ambassador and educator on Zuni culture. We'wha was lhamana, which is someone, who takes on both female and male orientated roles within their tribe as well as dressing in male and female clothing.
"The Zuni lhamana, like other Indigenous social, cultural and ceremonial roles, exist in an Indigenous matrix...[lhamana] cannot be reduced to a conventional set of gender roles or even modern transgender or genderqueer ones" - quote from Wikipedia page 'Lhamana'
It's important we celebrate other gnc identities throughout history as it helps once again, reiterate the statement that queer has always been here! Plus it's fun to learn!
Image & text descriptions in ALT
"Atypically gendered burials are generally excluded as “outliers” in excavation reports and subsequent research, relying on anachronistic idea that historical societies followed a system of sex, gender & sexuality aligning with 19th-century western standards" lmao
Gender & trans / non-binary archeology will see justice and recognition brought to the hundred of ancient cultures noted for gender diversity... As an example, to see documentaries of all white archeology teams dig up native American graves and say so confidently "yup, that's a cis man and that's a cis woman" is ignorant erasure at best and blatant disrespect at worst to fit their culture and history into western 19th century standards / perceptions of gender and sexuality.
Do give regard and pay respect to the following, among others: Muxhe, Winkte, Alyha/Alhya, Hwame, Ninauposkitzipxpe, Biza’ah, Quariwarmi / Kariwarmi, Lhamana, Bloka egla wa ke, Asegi, Ayagigux', Tayagigux', Baté, Hemaneh and the list goes on! Do not erase the people of the country you claim to love. Justice and liberty for all, ya dig?
Keep in mind the bias of Spanish missionaries and colonizers when they write accounts of people, since they most often cannot see past bias of "there a women in male clothing and men in female clothing" and "they commit sodomy as it were permitted" or "some men go about as the women do & vice versa"
Recognize the Natives 🪶 recognize their genders 🌸
Skeletons found with items that don’t align with their estimated sex are usually excluded from research – but that assumes a 19th century vi
We'Wha (1849-1896)
[Image Description: A stylized portrait of We'Wha, a Zuni lhamana with a medium complexion, black hair twisted up into a style similar to pigtails. She wears silver earrings and a long necklace.]
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Indigenous Peoples Day
Today on the second Monday in October, the USA celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day.
Despite colonial efforts to erase them, there have been and continue to be many unique Indigenous gender identities and sexualities around what is now called the USA, and many Two-spirit and queer Indigenous stories to tell. If you’d like to start learning more, you can check out a few of our podcasts on these topics:
We’wha was a Zuni lhamana - a gender including both masculine and feminine roles. A highly skilled craftsperson, We’wha travelled to Washington DC in 1885 as a representative of the Zuni people, where they worked with anthropologists and the Smithsonian museum to demonstrate and share information about Zuni crafts and culture.
Ohchiish (Osh-Tisch) was a batée born in the 19th-century Crow Nation. Batée is a uniquely Crow gender identity, describing a person assigned male at birth, who performs female as well as specifically batée social roles. Ohchiish was a renowned craftsperson, brave fighter, and the best poker player in the region. In the face of attempts by the US government to force assimilation to Western ideas of gender, their community fought for their right to express their identity.
Bíawacheeitchish (Woman Chief) was a Gros Ventre woman who lived amongst the Crow, having been taken as a captive at a young age. She was skilled in traditionally masculine pursuits like riding, hunting and warfare. Her military prowess led to her becoming one of the most respected Crow chiefs. Polygamy was common amongst the Crow, and Bíawacheeitchish married four women.
Kapaemahu is a monument commemorating the visit of four healers to Honolulu in around the 1500s - the monument consists of four huge stones which are still recognised as a sacred site today. The healers were māhū, a gender recognised in Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawai’ian) culture.
[Images: black-and-white photograph of We’wha in a traditional Zuni dress; black-and-white photo of Ohchiish from Will Roscoe’s Changing Ones: Third and Fourth Genders in Native North America, p.28-9; Illustration of Barcheeampe (Pine Leaf) from The Life and Adventures of James P Beckwourth (1856) - line drawing of a Crow woman riding a horse with a spear in her hand, possibly inspired by Bíawacheeitchish]
Pride 2022 05/30 - We’wha
Born c.1849 at Zuni (now in New Mexico), We’wha was a lhamana - a Zuni gender including both masculine and feminine roles. Lhamana in general and We’wha in particular were recognised as highly skilled craftspeople.
In 1885, We’wha travelled to Washington DC as a representative of the Zuni people, where they worked with anthropologists and the Smithsonian museum to demonstrate and share information about Zuni crafts and culture.
learn more with queer as fact: a queer history podcast
[Image description: We’wha, a Zuni lhamana with a dark bob, wearing a Zuni dress, blanket and necklace (1894); We’wha seated under a tree weaving on a loom suspended from a branch above]
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)]
