We’Wha was a Zuni artisan and Ihamana. In traditional Zuni culture, the lhamana are people who are assigned male at birth, and who take on the social and ceremonial roles usually performed by women in their culture. Ihamana wear a mixture of women’s and men’s clothing and much of their work is in the areas usually occupied by Zuni women. They are also known to serve as mediators. We’Wha was born in the mid-1800s, and served as an ambassador for their people to the colonizing United States government. They were a highly-regarded weaver and potter, and were loved (and sometimes feared) and respected by their tribal community. They became an activist later in life, when conflict broke out between the Zunis and the US government, and was accused of witchcraft. They died at 47 during an annual tribal festival. Their legacy lives on in the stories told and the artistry that has survived.
Indigenous Artistry is the colorway named for We’Wha; it was originally called Magical Me.
We are sharing a shawl made in Indigenous Artistry and Lavender Menace, Shannon’s Glitterati.
You can find all of our in-stock True Colors yarn on our website here.
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