Article 10 – The Indispensability of Women

By Jenna Brown

Since the time of the women suffrage, the topic of feminism catapulted in global discussions. The term feminism merely is defined as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes” (English Oxford Living Dictionaries, n.d.). The goal of this paper is to explore the topic of feminism from an Aboriginal perspective. This paper will focus on women’s roles in traditional Aboriginal societies in Canada. For the sake of consistency, the term Aboriginal will be used throughout the text to describe Canada’s unique and distinct First Nations collectively. We must acknowledge that each Aboriginal nation in Canada is distinctly unique and the generalization of them is not favourable which is why we must make this distinction. It is also essential to understand the sacredness of the knowledge we will explore through this paper; hence, we must include proper acknowledgements for this reason. It will be the goal of this paper to outline the cycle of Aboriginal feminism. We will explore traditional women’s roles, the eradication of those roles through assimilation and colonization, and lastly the resurgence of these roles.

As we explore the topic of feminism throughout this paper, the reader should keep in mind the definition aforementioned, namely, feminism. It is imperative that the reader understands this definition as we explore Aboriginal feminism. Many Aboriginal scholars would argue that feminism “is an imperial project that assumes the givenness of … colonial stranglehold on indigenous nations” (Smith, 2005, p. 117). The concept of feminism then is argued to be a colonial construct. Before European contact, women were highly valued to the matriarchal societies of Aboriginal people. For this reason, when we talk about the role and status of women in traditional societies, there will be no need to classify them as feminist. If we consider women through the lens of traditional Aboriginal societies, then it is unnecessary to classify them as such. To introduce the paper in this sense accomplishes two things. One, it puts into context for the reader the status of Aboriginal women before colonization, as we assume that the understanding of feminism has now become universal. Secondly, in the same sense, it is decolonizing the western narrative commonly found in academia. For these reasons, we initially included the concepts of feminism and feminist ideals. All things considered, we will abandon the term feminist or feminism and replace it plainly with Aboriginal women, or women as the paper solely focuses on this group.

The power and strength which Aboriginal women embody are to be admired. Aboriginal women are without question the centre and core of their communities. They were the ones that brought life into the world, and they are honoured by acknowledging this powerful role. They are also responsible for teaching the new generation the morals and values which brought balance to their lives (Anderson, 2011). The women are the centre of their communities and are treated as such. The Cree word for woman (we can recognize how deeply ingrained these teaching are to their nations), is “Iskwew.” As Cree Elder Mary Lee mentioned, quoted in Anderson (2011): “Woman in our language is iskwew…. We were named after that fire, iskwuptew, and that is very powerful because it honours the sacredness of that fire” (p. 100). The fire which they speak of is the fire at the centre of the tipi, which symbolizes warmth, comfort, dignity, and the sacred circle of life (Anderson). It is well-known within traditional Aboriginal societies that no nation existed without the strength of the grandmothers and women in the community (Anderson, 2011). She is the centre of the home and the community. Let us attempt to understand the workings of women’s roles in ancestral societies. The ability to grasp the functions of traditional societies will be vital in the reconstruction of modern Aboriginal societies. A common characteristic of traditional land-based societies was its non-patriarchal and non-hierarchical structures (Anderson, 2011).

It is without question that gender roles existed in traditional land-based societies. Both men and women had distinct roles in their communities. The men typically were the hunters and providers for the families, and the women managed the resources to ensure the wellbeing of the community. It is important to note that the reader should refrain from interpreting these roles from a Western Patriarchal framework (Anderson, 2011). To do so would not align with these traditional frameworks. Each role and authority was respected by the other, there were no hierarchal rankings as each role was seen as crucial to a harmonious community. Anderson notes that roles were often divided between genders, and a showing of healthy Aboriginal families displayed this sense of balance between the men and the women. (Anderson, 2000). The community admires the women for their ability to manage social relations within the community, and it is common for women to maintain discipline within these societies (Anderson, 2000). These acknowledgements are essential to the western readers as they try to step outside of their frame of thinking.

Now that we have established a basic understanding of the roles of women in traditional societies, we can observe the changes which colonization brought upon Aboriginal nations. An important topic of discussion when we speak about colonization is the creation and implementation of Residential Schools. This point is important and deserves to be included when talking about colonization in Canada. It is expected that the reaction that followed the Residential School experience was adverse; hence, there is pressure by the colonizers on the Aboriginal people to forget and “get over” the injustices imposed on Aboriginal people. For centuries, these schools were funded by the Federal government and were run by the churches to indoctrinate and assimilate Aboriginal children into Canadian society (Hanson, n.d.). This process happened without the permission of Aboriginal people as school-aged children, starting at age five were forced out of their communities and into schools which punished them for speaking their language and practicing their culture. The process in which the government removed children from their families resulted in the “slow erosion of relationship to community and to the identities that were based in that community” (Anderson, 2000, p. 123). Those women who were forced out of their communities and into these schools had to struggle to retain those connections that were essential to their spirit (Anderson, 2000). The Canadian government has had a hand in the destruction of Aboriginal knowledge and identity as one of its main colonial objectives (Kermoal, Altamirano-Jiménez, & Horn-Miller, 2016, p. 39).

What is of importance in this discussion and should remain the focus is the resistance and strength of Aboriginal women. It is essential to acknowledge that many of these women identified their original families as the foundation of their inner strength (Anderson, 2000). Kinship and family relations were important, especially to Aboriginal women who were the heads of social relations in the community and emphasized the importance of connectedness with one another. They were the home fires, as previously mentioned by the word for “woman” in Cree, which translates to the fire at the centre of the tipi.

One way in which Aboriginal women displayed resistance to colonial oppression was the importance they placed on their language. Their language was much more than a way of communicating. It is embedded in their entire worldview, philosophies, and values. Their language is where they acquired a foundation for their well-being. It was also helpful in that, as Anderson notes: “The use of Indigenous languages allows Native women to self-define outside of the misogynist paradigm that exists in the colonizer’s language” (Anderson, 2000, p. 131). This ability to decontextualize themselves from colonial subjection was crucial to their sources of strength.

A focus on the resistance and reclamation of Aboriginal women’s power is vital to all those who exist within Aboriginal communities. As we have discovered, the health and well-being of the women in the communities are vital to the health and well-being of all Aboriginal people. The women are the home fires. They are the sources of strength and the ones who preserve and carry on the knowledge, morals, and values to the next generation. It is crucial that the honour and respect of Aboriginal women become a priority of these nations. It is also important to note that “the relationship with the land is critical to Native female strength and resistance” (Anderson, 2000, p. 127). It is not a mistake that Aboriginal societies have referred to the land and the environment as Mother Earth. They understood that just as their mothers, the earth provides us all with life, and for this reason, we must respect and honour that role. It is the women who have been “holding on to their Indigenous teachings and seeing the importance of passing this knowledge on to future generations” (Kermoal, Altamirano-Jiménez, & Horn-Miller, 2016, p. 39). One scholar remembers the teachings of her grandmother as she observes the passing down of Aboriginal women’s teachings and how these oral traditions served as an act of resistance to a concept she classifies as ‘double consciousness’ (Kermoal, Altamirano-Jiménez, & Horn-Miller, 2016, p. 40).

Jobin classifies double consciousness while referencing Du Bois, as the feeling of having more than one social identity (Kermoal, Altamirano-Jiménez, & Horn-Miller, 2016). This phenomenon was common for Aboriginal people that attended Residential schools. The sense of having to walk in two worlds was demanding of Aboriginal women. Aboriginal people who attended Residential Schools internalized colonial goals in which they “saw themselves through the eyes of the colonizer, seeking recognition and therefore mimicking non-Indigenous ways of being” (Kermoal, Altamirano-Jiménez, & Horn-Miller, 2016, p. 40). This process of decolonization in which the women were able to recognize that they were acting in two consciousnesses and two worlds were vital to the resurgence of their cultural identities.

The matriarchal societies of Aboriginal nations are essential to the resurgence and reclamation of Aboriginal identity and culture. By understanding how ancestral societies function, while noting the esteemed place which women occupy, we can restore balance within Aboriginal communities, thereby correcting the imbalance which we currently see worldwide. There needs to be a return to the acknowledgment of the power which women have held for generations in their respective nations. It is until then that we will see the balance which society seeks, and it will be then that words such as feminism no longer exist.

References
Anderson, K. (2000). A Recognition of Being: Reconstructing Native Womanhood . Toronto: Second Story Press.
Anderson, K. (2011). Life Stages and Native Women: Memory, Teachings, and Story Medicine. Winnipeg:
University of Manitoba Press.
English Oxford Living Dictionaries. (n.d.). Feminism. Retrieved April 14, 2019, from Oxford Dictionaries:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/feminism
Hanson, E. (n.d.). The Residential School System. Retrieved March 27, 2019, from Indigenous Foundations:
https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/the_residential_school_system/
Kermoal, N. J., Altamirano-Jiménez, I., & Horn-Miller, K. (2016). Living on the Land : Indigenous Women’s Understanding
of Place. Edmonton: AU Press.
Smith, A. (2005). Native American Feminism, Sovereignty, and Social Change. Feminist Studies, 31 (1), 116-132.

About the Author: Tansi, My name is Jenna Brown, and I am an Ininiw Iskwew (Cree woman) from Opaskwayak Cree Nation on Treaty 5 territory. I am a mother, which is a role I hold sacred and to the highest honor. I am also a student in my last year of my Bachelor of Arts Degree and will be graduating in June 2019. I plan to continue my schooling after I take some much needed time off to be with my children. I plan to attend Law School once my babies are a little bit older with focus in Indigenous law. I am passionate about Indigenous rights, Human Rights, Feminism, and Justice.

Instructor’s Remarks: Jenna was my student in the IDS.1003 course in Term 30, 2019. After a shaky start in the course, she later emerged as a very strong writer. In this piece, which is an adaptation of her final research paper in the course, Jenna goes the length to inform her reader about the extremely important roles which Aboriginal women play in their communities. Indigenous women are as indispensable as “fire.” As an Indigenous woman herself, Jenna pushes for the recognition of the enormity of the power which women worldwide possess – Dr. Joseph Atoyebi