Essay also published as an article- http://sensiblereason.com/native-american-feminists-influence-european-ideology/
The author has chosen to discuss the relationship between female activism and its influence on
gender discrimination within a Native American community. She chose to discuss these topics as she
identifies as a Native American woman, as well as a feminist. She also wanted to bring awareness to
the mindset of the Aboriginals and how the influence of European colonialism has changed the
Aboriginal culture. The author poses the question, “Are Native American women who identify as
feminists, assimilating to a colonial ideology and is feminism within Native American communities
despised because it sheds light on sexual assault against Aboriginal women?”
Prior to European
invasion, Native American women were a part of an egalitarian system
where
women held equal
positions to men.
“There
was no universal standard regarding the status of Native American
women; the role of each woman was unique to her own tribe. In
general, prior to settler colonialism, women's power and status were
based on their relative control over land, horticultural production,
and nomination of chiefs, as well as on their participation in
village and tribal decision making. Women's political power was the
ability to influence who held office, not the more direct ability to
hold office.” (Lajimodiere, 2011).
In European culture,
women were regarded as inferior to men in a system known as
patriarchal
colonialism. This
Eurocentric thinking style followed over when European settlers
merged with
the Aboriginals in the
times of first contact. It is believed that the feminist concept was
first
created by Western
women who demanded equality for gender rights. These women fought for
their rights in a
patriarchal society, but they did not include the rights of other
minorities such as
Aboriginal women.
“Therefore, Native American women perceived this early feminism as
a
reaction to an
existing patriarchal sociopolitical system not concerned with the
racialized
oppression – as a
result of Euro-American racism- of other marginalized women and
subcultural
groups of “ethnic
minorities”, such as Native Americans as tribal peoples, or with
the impact of
U.S colonialism on
their traditional ways of life” (Guerrero, 2003)
To better understand
how feminism relates to Aboriginal women, it is best to have an idea
of
what it means to be a
feminist. Western society is based on a Patriarchal model. This model
reflects male
perspective and interactions within social, political, and
authoritative roles within
the society. Feminism,
is a different type of perspective that focuses on the elimination of
oppression, the
concept of interconnectedness, and the advocacy of the rights for all
people,
equally. (Gary, and
Campbell, 1998).
Being that Native
American communities were mostly based on an egalitarian system,
this idea of feminism,
was a foreign concept. Most Aboriginal communities did not designate
roles for women to
follow, nor did they make Aboriginal women less superior to their
male
counterparts.
Feminism, was a European concept and many Aboriginal women were not
comfortable with the
title of Feminist. According to Annette Jaime’s (Guerrero): “Native
women
activists, except
those who are “assimilated”, do not consider themselves
feminists. Feminism,
according to Jaime’s,
is an imperial project that assumes the givenness of U.S colonial
stranglehold on
indigenous nations. Thus, to support sovereignty Native women
activists reject
feminist politics”
(Smith, 2005).
“As a result of U.S
colonialism and patriarchal structure, the traditional authority of
Native American women,
has been systematically disempowered up to the present time. Native
Americans, on the
other hand, see themselves as “a People” and refer to themselves
as such in
their respective
indigenous languages through the group names for themselves”
(Guerrero,
2003).
To further illustrate this notion of
oneness within Aboriginal cultures, Lorelie Decora Means, the
founder
of WARN (Women Of All Red Nations) states: “We are American Indian
women in that
order. We are oppressed first and foremost as American
Indians, as peoples colonized by the United
States, not as women. As
Indians we can forget that. Our survival, the survival of every one
of us-
man, woman and child- as Indians depends on it. Decolonization
is the agenda, the whole agenda,
until it is accomplished”
(Ramirez, 2007).
Prior to the invasion of the Europeans,
Native Americans acted as a unit. They did not designate
roles based
on being male and female and no sex was superior or inferior to the
other. When
European colonialism occurred, the breakdown in
Aboriginal communities also occurred as they
were forced to
assimilate to these Eurocentric ways of thinking. As feminism began
to rise within the
developed Patriarchal society, Native American
women found themselves in an uncomfortable
position. Their equally
with men was disregarded and they soon followed suit with the average
European middle/upper class Caucasian woman. Aboriginal women were
now being oppressed
based on their culture and sex.
With colonization, came sexual
exploitation and acts of violence and rape towards Aboriginal
women.
Interestingly enough, sexual assault towards Aboriginal women,
usually came from
outsiders. According to the US department of
justice: “What else can we say when one
out of every
three Native American women report
they have been raped, or that an attempt has been made to
sexually
brutalize them? That is more than 2.5
times the
national average. And if you think those
numbers are staggering,
consider who is carrying out these attacks: at least 86% of
sexual assaults
are reportedly being perpetrated by non-Native men”
(Wolfe and Chief Elk, 2012)
Prior to European invasion, sexual
assault and domestic violence did not exist in Aboriginal
communities. These acts of violence and assault, are still a common
occurrence “Women of color
have for too long been presented with
the choices of either prioritizing racial justice or gender
justice. This dualistic analysis fails to recognize that it is precisely
through sexism and gender
violence that colonialism and white
supremacy have been successful” ( Smith, 2005)
In conclusion, Aboriginal women have
been doomed from the time the Europeans landed. They were
sexualized
and treated as inferior to men. A common stereotype that was attached
to an Aboriginal
woman, was “squaw”, or “Indian princess” in
the case of Pocahontas. These terms were designated
to Aboriginal
women, by male, European colonizers (Steckley and Letts, 2013).
Feminism is a
European concept that many Aboriginal women resent. In
todays, Western society, Kachuck
explains that Feminist liberalism
“identifies women as a class entitled to rights as women”(Steckley
and Letts, 2013). Yet, this does not always apply to Native American
women who’s culture sees
them as “a People” and not as a woman.
This concept leaves Aboriginal women in a tricky position.
She has to
decide if she will advocate for female rights and by doing so, she is
admitting to being
assimilated, or she chooses to say nothing and
allows herself to be sexualized and discriminated
against by
non-native men. A very popular Native American saying states “A
nation is not defeated
until the hearts of its women are on the
ground. Then it's finished. No matter how brave its warriors,
or how
strong its weapons.” This saying may be read in different ways, but
the message is always the
same. If women are defeated, a nation is
defeated. Unfortunately, this seems to be the way our future
is
headed.
References
How did feminism
evolve? - Curiosity. (n.d.). Curiosity. Retrieved
November 24, 2013, from
http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-did-feminism-start-evolve
Lajimodiere, D.
K. (n.d.). A History of Native Women's Roles. Project MUSE.
Retrieved November 23, 2013 from
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/wicazo_sa_review/summary/v026/26.2.lajimodiere.html
Ramirez, R. (2007). Race Tribal Nation,
and Gender: A Native feminist approach to belonging.
Guerrero, J.
(2003). Patriarchal Colonialism and Indigenism: Implications for
Native Feminist Spirituality and Native Womanism. Hypatia, 18,
59-68
Smith, A.
(2013). Native American Feminism, Sovereignty, and Social Change.
Feminist Studies , 31, 1-6
Wolfe, L.
(n.d.). Sexual violence is tearing Native American communities
apart. the Guardian.
Retrieved November 26, 2013, from
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/sep/08/sexual-violence-native-american-communities
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