Lhamana facts for kids

We'wha, a famous Zuni lhamana who was skilled at weaving.

In the traditional culture of the Zuni people, a group of Native Americans, Lhamana are people who were born male but take on social and ceremonial roles usually done by women. They often wear a mix of clothing for both men and women. Their work often includes tasks that Zuni women traditionally performed. Today, some lhamana are part of the larger two-spirit community, which includes many different Native American gender identities.

The most well-known lhamana was We'wha (1849–1896). In 1886, We'wha traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of a Zuni group. While there, they met with the President of the United States, Grover Cleveland.

The Role of Lhamana in Zuni Society

In the 1800s, people observed that lhamana often wore clothing similar to women's. However, they were also known for being strong and were sometimes hired for jobs that needed a lot of physical effort. This included tasks like hunting large animals or chopping firewood.

Many lhamana were also very talented in traditional Zuni arts and crafts. They created beautiful pottery and wove intricate textiles. We'wha, for example, was especially famous for their weaving skills.

We'wha's Important Contributions

People who knew We'wha used both masculine and feminine pronouns to describe them. Matilda Coxe Stevenson, an anthropologist who was friends with We'wha, wrote about their many roles:

She performed religious and legal duties that were usually done by men, while also doing women's work like laundry and gardening.

...the smartest person in the village. Their strong personality made their words important to both men and women they knew. Even though men and women respected their anger, all children loved them because they were always kind.

The Zuni lhamana held a special and respected place in their society. Their role was unique to Zuni culture and was not simply about modern ideas of gender or relationships.

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