Changing Ones: Ch; 1 & 2

3rd and 4th gender roles were common in many tribes and were called berdaches. Male berdaches would often engage in women's activities, such as dressing like women, making clothes, baskets or cooking. Female berdaches engaged in mens activities like hunting, fighting in battle, dressing as men. Berdaches usually engaged in same sex relationships with non-berdaches. While European societies rejected and considered this behavior as immoral, Native Americans considered berdaches equal contributors to the community. Berdaches were accepted and often highly respected. "Berdaches were not failed men or women; and behaved according to cultural expectations for those roles"(pg 5, Roscoe).