#lhamana

John K. Hillers, Portrait of We-Wha (c. 1871–1896)

A remarkable pair of late-1800s photographs by John K. Hillers depicts We-Wha, a Two Spirit person, or an individual in the Zuni tribe who took on both male and female tasks. We-Wha was a pottery and textile artist as well as a cultural ambassador who visited Washington, DC, and met President Grover Cleveland in 1886.

Here is a fully formed queer figure of the past, crashing through the history books to challenge modern-day assumptions about the range of late-19th-century public gender expression.

Genderqueer History ~ We’Wha (1849-1896)

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!

(We'wha used both masculine and feminine pronouns in their life, but for ease of reading, I have chosen to use neutral pronouns when referring to them.)

c 1886

We'wha was a Zuni Native American that served as a cultural ambassador for Native Americans and was a notable fiber artist, weaver, and potter. They were an lhamana, which is a male-bodied person who takes on the social and ceremonial roles usually performed by women in their culture. Some contemporary lhamana participate in the pan-Indian two-spirit community.

We'wha working at a backstrap loom.

Anthropologist Matilda Coxe Stevenson befriended We'wha and helped publish much material about the Zuni.

We’wha (deceased)

Gender: Two Spirit - lhamana

Sexuality: N/A

DOB: Born 1849

RIP: Died 1896

Ethnicity: Native American - Zuni

Occupation: Fiber artist, weaver, potter, ambassador

Pride 2021 - 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

pride 26/30 | we’wha

“She was perhaps the tallest person in Zuni; certainly the strongest, both mentally and physically. … She had a good memory not only for the lore of her people, but for all that she heard of the outside world. … She possessed an indomitable will and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. …”

- Anthropologist Matilda Coxe Stevenson, about her friend 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

I’ve been looking at the Smithsonian’s collection of Zuni objects, and I was very excited to find this jug and bowl, not just made by We’wha, who we’ve been talking about this week, but signed as well!

We’wha was a Zuni lhamana - a third gender fulfilling both masculine roles, and feminine ones, including pottery. Lhamana in general and We’wha in particular were recognised as highly skilled craftspeople. We’wha was commissioned to make these pieces by their friend anthropologist Matilda Coxe Stevenson, who worked with the Smithsonian.