The Zuni Man-Woman.

Albuquerque, New Mexico:: University of New Mexico Press, 1991.. First Edition, so stated.. Hardbound . BINDING/CONDITION: cloth binding, red with black at the spine; the edges of the text block show foxing, otherwise a Very Good book with a Very Good dust jacket.. 8vo (9.25 inches tall) . Appendices, notes, bibliography, index. Description: Includes one section of black and white plates. The publisher's blurb reads: ''In 1886 the nation's capital hosted a remarkable cultural ambassador. The 'Zuni maiden' named We'wha mingled with the most enlightened society of the metropolis. Although he was the 'tallest, certainly the strongest' member of his tribe, and despite his 'rather large' features, no one in Washington doubted that We'wha was a woman. It was a long way from the dusty pueblo in New Mexico where We'wha lived as a traditional Zuni berdache -- a man who preferred women's work and adopted female dress. The Zuni believed that men skilled at women's crafts (and women skilled in male activities) combined the two sexes. This made them extraordinary in every respect. The book focuses on the life of We'wha, perhaps the most famous berdache in American Indian history. Following this, the author looks at Zuni concepts of gender and sexuality and the religious and mythological dimension of the berdache role. This also tells for the first time the story of the U.S. government's concerted but ultimately ineffective efforts to change Indian 'morals' and suppress berdaches.''