Course:INDG/RLST2285NorthAmericanIndigenousTraditionandculture
Instructor:WillMorin
Name:AdhiraRavi
Studentnumber:0381387
Date:23rdJuly,2021
EssayTopic:NorthAmericanNativeFeminism
Womanhood.Colonization.Feminism.
NativeAmericanCulture,muchlikemanyotherculturesandcommunitiesaroundthe world,stronglybelievesinequalrepresentationanddistributionofdignity,authorityandworkto bothmenandwomen(Morin,Unit6Section4preliminary-beginning;KelmandTownsend, 450).Theybelieveinthephilosophyofthe4hills,thateveryhuman’swalkontheearthcanbe splitinto4stagesorphasesnamely,Infancy,Childhood,AdulthoodandOldAge(Johnston, 112).Asoneprogressesthroughthesestages,theygainlifeexperiences,knowledgeandwisdom thatislatersharedwithotherswhoareintheirrespectivejourneys(Johnston,112&117).Itis interestingtoseehowthereisahugeobservableinfluenceofawomanateverystageofone’s life(especiallyinthelifeofanotherwoman).Forexample,inearlystagesoflifei.einfancy,the babyisfrailandutterlyhelpless,andneedsnurturingfromitsparents(Johnston,112).Here,itis themotherofthatinfantwhoisgiventheresponsibilitytocareforherbaby,intermsofphysical nourishment.ThencomesYouth/Childhoodwheretheinfantgrowsupandbeginstodevelop personalityinadditiontoreceivingphysicalandmoraltraining(seekingandattainmentofthe vision,orlife’spurpose)fromtheelders(Johnston,112&114).Atthisstage,genderedlessons aretaught,i.e.boyslearnhunting,fishingandtrainforphysicalendurancewhilegirlsaretaught howtocook,sew,teachandlookafterothers(Johnston,114).Inawoman’slife,thisiswhenshe isfirstintroducedtohermoon(menstrual)cycle,wheremanyoftheoraltraditionsandteachings arepasseddownfromotherwomenandgrandmothers,preparinghertoenterwomanhood(Beck etal,213&219).Postthis,theburdensanddutiesofadulthoodandparenthoodfallintoone’s hands(Johnston,115).This,whilstbeingthestagewhereoneseekstofulfiltheirlife’spurpose, isalsothestagewheretheyattainmaturityandbegintotakecareofthemselvesandbeingsfrom
theother3stages(Johnston,115).Awomanhereisnowtheoneprovidingforheryoungones, herfamily,hercompanionandherself.Sheistheonewhokeepsthefamilybonded(Morin,Unit 6Section4preliminary-beginning).Finally,asoldageapproaches,thepaceoflifeslowsdown considerably,visionsarefulfilledanditistimetoimpartallthegainedwisdomuponotherswho arestillonthewalkoflife(Johnston,116&117).Inthisstage,manywomentakeupan educator’sroletoyoungchildrenandwomen,andauthoritativerolesincommunities,especially theonesthathaveanactivegynarchy(Anderson,486;Allen,212;Becketal,213).Hence,itis abundantlyevidentthatwomenhaveimmenselycontributedtotheprosperityofindigenous communities,mostimportantlyduetotheirleadershipandchildbearingabilities.
Whilethisisthekindofspiritualitytheindigenousbelievein,thecolonizershadentirely opposingideas.Theyalsodidn'tholdmuchimportancetowardsrememberingandcarryingtheir historyandculturaltraditionsunliketheindigenouswhostronglyfollowedtheirs(Allen,211).
DuringthelonghistoryofcolonizationinNorthAmerica,oneofthemainsectorsthatwas abjectlyaffectedwaswomanhood;theattemptonthereversalofitsconsequencesonandbythe presentgeneration,resultingin“feminism.”ThiswasduetotheforcefulintroductionofWestern (Christian)Patriarchalideologies,alongwiththeirracistandsexistmentalities,intoamatriarchal system,becauseofwhichthepower,status,autonomyandauthoritythatthewomenleadersheld wereimmediatelyabducted(KelmandTownsend,444).
Theprimarydifferenceobservedbetweenthetwobeliefsisthegenderdifferenceofthe respectivesupremebeing/thecreator.Thecolonizersbelievedinamasculinecreator,whiletothe indigenous,thecreatorisMotherearthwhoisafemininefigure(KelmandTownsend,444;
Morin,Unit3Section2preliminary-midway).TheyalsobelievedthatMotherearthcreatedthe firstmanfrom4partsofherself(Morin,Unit3Section2preliminary-midway).Thisdifference andthecolonizers’brutalimpositionledtothesilencingofwomeninallaspects.Evennative menwerelargelyimpactedwhicheventuallyledtodysfunctionalbehaviourandreflecteddisplay ofsexism(Anderson,487).RamonaBennettrightlymentions,“ThoseIndianmendidnotlearn sexismfromthetraditionalteachings.Theylearneditfromthewomenteacherswhowere subservienttomaleprincipals,theylearneditfromthewhitebossonthejob,soIdon'tblame Indianmen,”thus,indicatingthattheirdisrespectfulbehaviourtowardswomenoftheirown culturewassimplyaproductofcapitalizationandcolonization(Anderson,487).
Takingsexismtothenextlevel,the19thand20thcenturycolonizeranthropologistsalso decidedtocompletelyignorethesignificanceofnativewomenintheupbringingofa community,resultingintheminimaldiscussionoftheirbeing(KelmandTownsend,438).Even inaboriginalstudies,theanthropologistswouldanonymouslytalkaboutwomensolelyinterms of“birthingrituals,childcareandfoodpreparation,”eventuallyalsoleadingtothereleaseand useofmuchmisinformation,however,thatwassimplynotthetruth(KelmandTownsend,438& 439).Nativewomenhadamassiveimpactinhelpingimmigrantsduringtheearlymigrationof thefurtraders(thiswasthankfullyprofessionallyanalysedbytwofeministanthropologists, SylviaVanKirkandJenniferBrown)(KelmandTownsend,439&440).Itwasalsofoundout thatunlikewhatwasportrayedbythesexistresearchers(thatwomenwerepassive,inferiorand submissive),nativewomenoccupiedliminalroleintheirsocietiesandmanyevenmarriedand convertedtocatholicismto“solidifytheirplaceasculturalmediatorsandtoenhancethewealth andprestigeoftheirkin”(KelmandTownsend,443&444).Moreover,thiswasalsotheir
attemptto“gaingreateraccesstotradegoods”and“increasebothpersonalautonomyandpublic voice”(KelmandTownsend,445).Somewomenresearcherswhounderstoodnativewomenalso soughtrefugeamongstthem,andlivedandworkedwiththemasawaytoescape“modernity” (KelmandTownsend,438).Manyfoundoutthatpastethnographicresearchhadbeenformedon falseandculturallybiasedinformationcoinedbywhitemen,whichwascritiquedandprovedto befarfromthereality;involvedfeministresearchersincludeSylviaVanKirk,JenniferBrown andElizabethVibert(KelmandTownsend,439&440).Additionally,startinginthe90s,many oftheoraltraditionswerealsoincludedashistoricalaccounts,givingan“opportunitytoexplore the‘constructionofwomen’shistoricalmemory’”asawaytounderstandanddocumentnorthern women’spastandpresent(KelmandTownsend,441&442).Theseoraltraditionsandcustoms occupiedahugespacewithintheculture,indicatingitsrelevanceandvitality Thegrandmothers wererightinsayingthat“Theywerethelasttocarrytheoldwaysofspeakingandthinking,and thattheirmythsandmessagesrecordedontapeareitsfinallegacy,”indicatingthatastime progressesitwillbetherecordingsthatwouldpresumablybetheopportunityforthemtocarry outtheirdutyofpassingdownessentialteachings(Amoss,97).
Tyinginwithtraditions,twoofthemoreimportantonesinawoman’slifearethepuberty andbirthingrituals,associatedwiththewoman’slodge(KelmandTownsend,447).As mentionedin The Sacred, thislodgeinthecaseofthepubertyceremonyiswhereagirlis temporarilysentto,inordertoremainsecludedfromtherestofthecommunity,andsheistaught bythegrandmotherstheimportantlessonsonwhatsheshouldknowaboutherfutureandtherole ofawomaninhercommunity(Becketal,213).Menstruationperiodistraditionallyseenasa verypowerfultime,wherethewomanhasthepotentialtonegativelyaffectmenwhomaycome
incontactwithherorherthingsi.e.weakenorevenrenderthemdead(Becketal,214).Mary Wrightmentionsthatthesetraditionsbegantodeclineduetothetoxiceffectsofcolonization, whichincludedepidemics,economicissuesandculturalmisinterpretation(KelmandTownsend, 447).“Theoriesofevolutionandracialdifferencedevelopedalongsideprevailingmisogynistic viewsofsexuality,andcolonialforcessubscribedtoVictorianidealsoffemalesubservienceand passivityandtothenotionofthebodyasasubjectofscientificstudy”(KelmandTownsend, 448).Hence,eachandeveryaspectrevolvingaroundnativewomanhoodwasshunned,and insteadofequalityandrespect,nativewomenweresexualized(KelmandTownsend,448).To makeitworse,herfamilywasexploitedandtheywerelefttofendforthemselves;infantand youngchildmortalitygrew(Amoss,84).
Inconclusion,colonizationprovedtobefataltonumerousaspectsofindigenous womanhood.Pre-establishedbalanceandequalityamongstthegenderswasdisrupted,ultimately resultinginthefallofrespecttowardsindigenouswomen.The“America”thatwasnurturedby thesameindigenouswomen,turnedagainstthemandcarriedoutracialandpatriarchal oppression(Allen,211).Everyfeministallyhasfoughtthewesternmentalityonlytore-establish thatlostgenderbalanceandre-discoverthosedecliningoraltraditionspasseddownby grandmothers.Thefeministrecoveryseekstoneverinvolvecompetitionwithmenorsuperiority tomen,buttomaintainthecomplementarityofgenderedroles,foryearstocome(Anderson, 488). Wordcount:1536words
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