The Zuni culture, primarily dominant through the 1800s, was among the many Native American groups that accepted hermaphrodites (or as they called it, ‘Berdaches’). These men chose to enter a womanly society, by practicing the traits taught to the female gender. In Zuni culture, gender and sex are not in the same category. One can be born a male, but they can adopt another gender’s culture. Berdaches are almost always men and very rarely women. This is because women have a more significant social power in Zuni culture than men do. Not only did the Zuni culture know this, but they accepted it, and were able to put it to use. Instead of chastising Berdaches, they embraced and respected these hermaphrodites. They were as much a part of the culture as the other women. Yet what would happen in a 21st Century scenario? Due to the common hate crimes against homosexuals, we feel that some parts of the Modern American culture would not be accepting towards the Zuni Berdaches.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
May 2015
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