Two-Spirit

White Crow watched as the braves rode out in search of thathánka, the buffalo, as he added small sticks and branches to the fire. Once he finished tending the fire, he would work with the other women, smoking the tháh^ca, the deer, the hunters brought with the sunrise. Careful not to let the sparks from the fire burn holes in his dress, he leaned and blew on the fire, watching the coals glow red, eventually igniting the wood.

He then joined the other women in preparing the deer. Being the strongest of them, he carried the heavy carcass to the rock where they skinned the animal. He helped them with the skinning, wanting to finish this work so he could join Little Elk, the tribes aged healer and most distinguished winkte, to learn the healing art.

White Crow grabbed the tháh^ca hide, pulling it from the flesh as Sings with Bird ran the sharpened stone along the coarse meat. When they finished, he would carry the meat to the fire for smoking. Instead of remaining to tan the hide, he could then go to Little Elk for learning.

Much of the time spent with Little Elk was spent talking to the spirits, learning the spirit words and the wakhan or mystery of the gods. Inside the smoky tent, they repeated the sacred chants, calling the healing powers. Only after they tasted the smoke, for some, time did Little Elk send White Crow in search of the herbs and roots needed for healing.

This was his favorite part of the day, where he could let his mind drift, to consider the art he learned from the old one or to think of the brave that called him mitháwichu ki, "my wife." After several hours of gathering, he could also walk alone to the creek and in the reflection of the water, braid his long hair and pluck the hair from his face.

Returning to the camp, he avoided the women as much as possible, knowing that returning from grooming at the creek, he looked more beautiful than many of them. Since he was winkte, he already worked harder than the other women because he never came with child and never went alone to the women's tent in the cycle of the moon. Now he wanted to avoid being assigned work by some young woman's jealous mother.

Walking quickly back to Little Elk's tent, hurrying so he could return to Dark Hawk's tent and await his ohitika, brave, like the other women awaited theirs. White Crow sat proudly now, wrapped in his blanket like the others, ready to welcome their returning men. Hidden behind him was the small pouch of deer fat he would coat his lover's che with before he bent over to receive him.

Hearing the horses from the hunting party, White Crow removed his dress beneath the blanket, like the other wives and awaited the warm body of their ohitika. Soon Red Hawk entered the tent, tossing the flap back and stepping inside. Seeing White Crow waiting for him, he moved toward him, removing his breechcloth and other clothing. He kneeled giving his lover a kiss and then guiding his head to his erect che.

White Crow took his hard che into his mouth, while his hand slid up and down on the shaft. Sucking the head, he tasted the salty pre cum that flowed from the tip of Red Hawk's large che. After a short time, the brave moved White Crow's head away, wanting more. White Crow happily grabbed a handful of the deer fat and coated his lover's che with the greasy substance. He stroked him with one hand while his other hand reached down to the brave's sack and he caressed his susu.

Red Hawk grabbed his shoulders with urgency, so White Crow turned quickly, kneeling on all fours, ready to receive his lover. The brave moved slowly now, pushing his che into his wife's tight ass, penetrating him completely. He then began withdrawing and thrusting, fucking his wife like the other braves did under their own blankets. Red Hawk smiled, knowing that White Crow's ass was so much tighter than the other women's shans. That is why favored White Crow over his other wife, who's shan gave him children, but only limited pleasure.

Feeling his lover fill him, White Crow reached to his own che and using the deer fat that remained on his hands as lubrication, began to stroke himself. Listening to the sounds Red Hawk made as he approached orgasm, White Crow timed his own climax so just as the brave shot his hot hiyuye into his ass, he would come, spilling his hiyuye onto the ground. After coming, White Crow would quickly cover his hiyuye with the earth, burying the white liquid beneath him.

Feeling Red Hawk roll off of him into the blankets, White Crow quickly rose and threw on his dress. He moved to the fire and removed some meat for Red Hawk's dinner. Only after he finished eating did White Crow join the other wives getting their food. Aside from a bit of jealousy over White Crow's beauty, the women respected him as winkte, knowing how hard he worked, but also knowing that one day he would be a distinguished healer.

After eating, White Crow returned to his husband, sitting in the favored wife position, while Red Hawk's other wife, breastfed the baby, sitting slightly behind White Crow. The fire flickered while the family talked of Red Hawk's hunting trip, of the buffalo White Crow would help skin tomorrow.

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Winkte is an old Lakota word, "Winyanktehca," that was contracted through long use. Its meaning is 'two-souls-person,' or more directly, 'to be as a woman.' It refers to someone who is transgender. The winkte were not despised as many transgender individuals were in other societies. To the contrary, they are considered to be people with special spiritual and other talents that fulfill some needs of the community that other people could not fill. (From Wikiverse A World of Knowledge, ww w.wikiverse.org).

Transgender individuals were present in most American Indian tribes, where men would take on the duties of women and occasionally women would assume male roles. Although the anthropological term for these transgendered individuals was "berdache" actually referring to a third gender (sometimes even a fourth gender, with male berdaches being the third gender and female berdaches being the fourth gender).

Individual tribes had their own names for transgender members of their tribes, for example the Crow called them bote', the Navajo called them nadleehi and the Mohave called them alyha and hwame. Like in Lakota society, in most American Indian societies the berdaches or two-souls were highly respected. Over the years, berdache has developed a negative connotation for many people, so the term "two-souls" is the preferred usage. (from "What are "Two-Spirits/Berdache?", ww w.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Stonewall/3044/berdache.html)