In Lakota tradition, a winkte is a person assigned male at birth who lives, dresses, and takes on the social roles of a woman. They are often regarded as possessing special spiritual or "medicine" powers, frequently serving as healers, namers of children, and keepers of oral traditions.
The term you quoted appears in various ethnographic accounts and historical texts, such as those by , to describe this third-gender role and its associated ceremonial significance within the community. medicine shemales
The phrase "medicine shemales" is a specific term from the culture, referring to individuals known as winkte . In Lakota tradition, a winkte is a person