Hosteen Klah

Hosteen Klah
Hosteen Klah in middle age.
Born	Navajo: Hastiin Tłʼa, Awééʼ ashkii 1867 Bear Mountain, near Fort Wingate, New Mexico
Died	February 27, 1937
Nationality	American / Navajo
Known for	Weaver, artist and medicine man (chanting and sandpainting)
Movement	Founded the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian with Mary Cabot Wheelwright

Hosteen Klah (Navajo: Hastiin Tłʼa, 1867–1937) was a Navajo artist and medicine man. He documented aspects of Navajo religion and related ceremonial practices. He was also a master weaver.

Hosteen Klah, also spelled Hastiin Klah, was born in 1867 at Bear Mountain, near Fort Wingate, New Mexico. His name essentially means Sir Left Handed in Navajo; in his youth, he was called Ahway Eskay (Awééʼ ashkii). Hoksay Nolyae was his father and Ahson Tsosie, of the Tsétaaʼáanii Clan, was his mother. Klah was born after the Navajos’ return to their homelands from forced government internment at Bosque Redondo. Klah avoided attending government school; rather, he received training in the traditionally male realm of ceremonial practices (chanting and sandpainting) from his uncle. While most individuals master only one or two complete chants, Klah mastered at least eight.

Hosteen Klah is most commonly believed to be intersex. Klah was important to the development of Navajo weaving. Among the Navajo, weavers are typically women, and chanters (hataałii) are normally male. Hosteen Klah was both a weaver and a chanter. This was possible because of his particular gender status. Klah was a nádleeh (meaning "one who is transformed" or "one who changes"). A nádleeh could be born male, female, or intersex.