We:wa: Who was the leader of the Zuni tribe?

We:wa was a Zuni Native American who worked as a weaver, potter, and fibre artist from New Mexico. We:wa, also known as We’wha, was born in 1849 and passed away in 1896, at the age of 47. The parents of We:wa died as a result of smallpox which invaded their village.

We:wa served as a cultural ambassador for the people of Native America and also served as a contact point and educator for many teachers, missionaries, soldiers and other people. We:wa led the Zuni tribe in 1886 to Washington DC to meet the then US President, Glover Cleveland.

We:wa was arrested in addition to some other five Zuni leaders and was accused of witchcraft.

After serving one month in prison in 1896, We:wa and the other Zuni leaders were released but unfortunately passed away as a result of heart failure. The leader died while participating in the annual festival called Sha’lako.

Google is honoring the Zuni tribe leader, We:wa, with a Doodle.