We'Wha
We'wha was a Zuni (A:shiwi) pottery and textile fiber artist, fluidly taking on both male and female roles as a way to weave history, traditions, and knowledge of their people.
Born around 1849 as a male-bodied person, community members recognized that We'wha (wee-wah) demonstrated traits associated with the Łamana (thah-mah-nah) as a child. Łamana is a recognized third gender outside of the male-female binary system and revered as a traditional cultural concept reflecting harmony and balance. Like most Łamana, the late We'wha began learning a variety of skills done by both men and women in the tribe. They became an expert weaver, a role traditionally taken on by men, and created textiles using different looms. After years of training, We'wha became one of the first Zuni craftspeople to sell ceramics and woven goods to non-Indigenous people, which catalyzed the process of Indigenous crafts being appreciated as a fine art in the U.S.
During We'wha’s landmark visit to the U.S. capital, they called upon high-ranking U.S. officials to protect Zuni lands and culture from encroaching settlers. They returned to Zuni Pueblo, where they spent the remainder of their life as an artist and community leader. Today, the late We'wha’s legacy lives on in the approximately 10,000 Zuni people who safeguard the rich tapestry of Zuni heritage and retain one the most uninterrupted cultural lineages of modern Indigenous tribal communities in the U.S.
Special edition print on 65lb cardstock paper.
Packaged in protective plastic sleeve and backboard or rolled up in a tube if larger.
We'wha was a Zuni (A:shiwi) pottery and textile fiber artist, fluidly taking on both male and female roles as a way to weave history, traditions, and knowledge of their people.
Born around 1849 as a male-bodied person, community members recognized that We'wha (wee-wah) demonstrated traits associated with the Łamana (thah-mah-nah) as a child. Łamana is a recognized third gender outside of the male-female binary system and revered as a traditional cultural concept reflecting harmony and balance. Like most Łamana, the late We'wha began learning a variety of skills done by both men and women in the tribe. They became an expert weaver, a role traditionally taken on by men, and created textiles using different looms. After years of training, We'wha became one of the first Zuni craftspeople to sell ceramics and woven goods to non-Indigenous people, which catalyzed the process of Indigenous crafts being appreciated as a fine art in the U.S.
During We'wha’s landmark visit to the U.S. capital, they called upon high-ranking U.S. officials to protect Zuni lands and culture from encroaching settlers. They returned to Zuni Pueblo, where they spent the remainder of their life as an artist and community leader. Today, the late We'wha’s legacy lives on in the approximately 10,000 Zuni people who safeguard the rich tapestry of Zuni heritage and retain one the most uninterrupted cultural lineages of modern Indigenous tribal communities in the U.S.
Special edition print on 65lb cardstock paper.
Packaged in protective plastic sleeve and backboard or rolled up in a tube if larger.
We'wha was a Zuni (A:shiwi) pottery and textile fiber artist, fluidly taking on both male and female roles as a way to weave history, traditions, and knowledge of their people.
Born around 1849 as a male-bodied person, community members recognized that We'wha (wee-wah) demonstrated traits associated with the Łamana (thah-mah-nah) as a child. Łamana is a recognized third gender outside of the male-female binary system and revered as a traditional cultural concept reflecting harmony and balance. Like most Łamana, the late We'wha began learning a variety of skills done by both men and women in the tribe. They became an expert weaver, a role traditionally taken on by men, and created textiles using different looms. After years of training, We'wha became one of the first Zuni craftspeople to sell ceramics and woven goods to non-Indigenous people, which catalyzed the process of Indigenous crafts being appreciated as a fine art in the U.S.
During We'wha’s landmark visit to the U.S. capital, they called upon high-ranking U.S. officials to protect Zuni lands and culture from encroaching settlers. They returned to Zuni Pueblo, where they spent the remainder of their life as an artist and community leader. Today, the late We'wha’s legacy lives on in the approximately 10,000 Zuni people who safeguard the rich tapestry of Zuni heritage and retain one the most uninterrupted cultural lineages of modern Indigenous tribal communities in the U.S.
Special edition print on 65lb cardstock paper.
Packaged in protective plastic sleeve and backboard or rolled up in a tube if larger.