Contrary to a commonly held belief that transgenderism is a relatively new occurrence, history tells us differently. Not only have transgender people existed across time, they have done some incredible things and made marks on history that should be remembered. Case in point: Osh-Tisch.
Osh-Tisch was a leading baté of the Crow nation. Baté is a Crow word meaning “Two Spirits” and in this case is used to refer to a person assigned male at birth who is a woman. Let’s pause to appreciate this. Not only was this an acceptable gender assignment, it was revered because it allowed a person to bridge the gap between two genders! Osh-Tisch was empowered to take on traditionally female AND male roles. Early on she was established as the baté leader and took on the roles of artist, medicine woman, and shaman for her community. She was also a skilled craftswoman and is known to have constructed the buffalo-skin lodge of the Crow Chief Iron Bull, remembered as one of the largest in the tribe's history. However, it was in the role of warrior that she earned her name.
During the Battle of Rosebud on June 17, 1876, where the Crow fought with the US Army and Native American forces against the Lakota and Cheyenne, Osh-Tisch cemented her place in history. The battle, fought 8 days before the more well known Battle of Little BigHorn, lasted 8 hours. During the battle, a Crow warrior was wounded and fell from his horse, prompting Osh-Tisch to jump off her own horse and stand over him protectively as she emptied and reloaded her rifle as fast as she could on the approaching Lakota. Her heroism was shared among her people and she was dubbed Osh-Tisch, which means “Finds Them and Kills Them.”
Sadly, by the 1890s, the US government, who had a decidedly different perspective regarding transgenderism, had forced the Crow onto reservations and began targeting batés, like Osh-Tisch. She was forced to cut her hair into an acceptably masculine style, wear men’s clothing, and give up her traditionally female roles. Although the Crow originally rallied to support and defend Osh-Tisch and the other batés, damage had been done and gradually acceptance of the batés began to fade, even among the previously accepting Crow nation.
However, being the unapologetic inspiration she was, Osh-Tisch regrouped and worked hard to educate. An article on the website historyheroines.com credits her with responding to a question about why she wears women’s clothing by saying she was “inclined to be a woman, never a man.” Osh-Tisch also provided support to others by establishing an intertribal network of Two Spirits, allowing batés to secretly communicate and work together to promote understanding. Osh-Tisch died in 1929 as one of the last of her kind.
Although her efforts went mostly unrewarded in her time, by retelling her story we can recognize that historical contributions come from everyone. Her inspiration lives on when we tell her story and say her name!
To learn more about Osh-Tisch, try these links!
This is my first read of this blog and I am already loving the new knowledge I'm getting.