Wintke and Witkówiŋ
“The term wíŋtke refers to men who partook in traditional feminine duties while the term witkówiŋ (“crazy woman”) was used
for women who rejected their roles as either mother or wife to be a prostitute.” ~ Article about Sioux Indians, Wikipedia
Pronounced as WEENKeh, this old term means two
Quite separate things to People of the Plains.
At first it meant the menfolk of the Sioux
Who want to be like women. In it stains
Exist. A deeper root, linguistically,
Involves “to kill,” but what should suffer death
Is not quite clear. These queenly men were free
From manly roles. These spoke with spirit breath
And some could act as medicine men or
As reverenced elders. But the witkówiŋ
A witkówiŋ
Were women. They of course were as a whore
Since women suffer meanings that are mean.
In modern Sioux the words can mean “two souls”
Outside the normal tribal rules’ controls.
~ Phillip Whidden