Meet We’wha, the famous Lhamana Two Spirit individual!

Meet We’wha, a Lhamana individual and one of many Two Spirited heroes from history!

Note on pronouns:
We’wha was referred to with she/he pronouns throughout life and seemed to interchange pronouns based on circumstances and choice.
But as Lhamana Two Spirit individuals were recognized then by the Zuni as socially/culturally distinct from men and women, and I am speaking about We’wha in general periods of time, I felt the singular “they” would be most appropriate.
This video’s goal is to respectfully bring more visibility to Two Spirit individuals like We’wha.

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#art #pride #LGBTQ #nonbinary #twospirit #queerhistory #pride2023 #QueerJoy #pridemonth #celebratelove

[sunnyflowers]

In other words,

“People have been people ever since there were people. Being lgbt+ IS NOT just something that was invented in the 90s”
- someone from the internet, I don’t remember who lol

To add to that, I’m pretty sure the only thing regarding lgbt+ that was invented at the time were the terminology, but the concept exist for millennia

[benjaclown]

I'm Mapuche (an indigenous group in Chile and Argentina) and my culture has that too! We call it epupillan which translates to "two spirits". Transgender and nonbinary people have always been here and we've been accepted by many cultures for centuries 💙🏳️‍⚧️

[YouTube]

trans and nonbinary people have always existed ❤️ thank you for sharing We’wha's story

[dieneu]

We have similar ideals in my Australian Aboriginal culture. In English we call them sister girls, but it's more than a name. It's acknowledgement and acceptance and has been for thousands of years before forced assimilation and indoctrination into the Catholic church.

[doc_arsenic]

watching this and hearing a story about someone who from an entirely different culture and was basically non-binary (like myself) almost brings tears to my eyes. it's so hard to deal with the knowledge that there are people who hate me for something I can't change about myself, so to hear how it was/is accepted in other cultures really helps heal some of my fears

[Sparrowlicious-]

Thank you for talking about this. I do love learning more about queer history that isn't just focused on cis men (don't get me wrong, they do deserve it - just like everyone else! And I love hearing about everyone else in our community.)

[EVOINCARNATE]

As māhū I relate to this heavily
Similar third genders were common in the pre-colonial pacific
I’m Hawaiian and later in life realized I was trans and I proudly wear the badge of māhū

[ClosedProductions]

The art and the history are phenomenal. Good work.

[bthrilling]

2S and queer ppl have been around for centuries. Thanks for spreading awareness!

[qryptid]

Thanks for explaining the history of the term Two Spirit and sharing their story 💖 colonialism has taken the traditional names and roles of individuals outside the male-female binary from many cultures and the need for this term to be created reflects that ❤ but we have always been here and we will always be here.

[canteventhough]

Dude, we got accused of witchcraft a LOT. I sometimes forget that. Like the Ghost Dance.

"Princess" because it just sounds so much cooler if you subjugate royalty.
*facedesk*

[dezyroxursox]

I'm Native and two spirit has drastically changed it's meaning. What I know from my history and culture it's not a sexuality whatsoever it's more of the lines of having a spirit of a bird for example or living as a spirit inside of you of a bear. And when it comes to genders it's more of the female or male side but it has nothing to do with being a man or a woman. And having either or does it make you a man or a woman, or less than a man or less than a woman. At the same time it was neither both. It's something hard to explain in western civilization it makes more sense and native language and and terms. This new explanation for the meaning of two spirits is very new and I saw how it changed from the 90s and early 2000s and now here we are today. It kept changing as the liberal movement moved.

[RoriPierogi]

Beautiful painting, I love watching your content, you are so talented. As a two-spirit person, thank you for sharing their story ❤

[Nightwishfan]

“Well I just recently heard nonbinary so it must be a new thing”
The term nonbinary is new
But there have been SEVERAL terms by many different cultures to describe the expierence.
There are examples of this in India, polynesia, Judaism, native Australians, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, Native American communities, the Philippines, Egypt etc
We’ve always been there, there might be more terms now but this expierence has always existed. The ones who said “hey there’s only 2 genders you can’t do that” were colonist.

[cynthiahunter]

The term Two-Spirit originated in 1990 by Myra Laramee (Cree) at the Third Annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference in Winnipeg. It is a translation of “niizh manidoowag” or “two spirits” in the Anishinaabe language.Jun 23, 2021

[ItsYaBoiV]

As my grandma once told me, we used to be much more accepting, but as our people die out from sterilization and blending with other peoples, a lot of the elders became really REALLY anti-lgbt+ because in their minds it kills us further. I'm sure it depends on the tribe and even on the individual, because even the most accepting group of any culture can have that one person who thinks only their extreme view is correct.

[alisonevans]

As a gay metis man I'm happy for stories like this being told. Sad what's happening to the queer and native communities in america

[Chiller-pcdv]

I have seen too many Right leaning Native Americans who refuse to acknowledge this part of history. It's sad how much colonization and the way our people have been forced into their religion, misogyny, and queerphobia, has impacted todays generations.


These people say "We native Americans don't stand for Transgender people!" and it's so frustrating....

[maddyocean]

thank you for sharing indigenous culture with others. they may want to ignore it but we are still here and have always accepted other gender identities

[Xing]

Two spirited isn’t man nor woman, it’s not a sexuality and I’m my culture it’s referred literally like the name is spelled out; there’s two spirits in you, one feminine one masculine. Those aren’t genders though so it’s not a gender identity in a way either