Aboriginal Women are reclaiming their Identity

I personally feel that historical research pertaining to Aboriginal women has been conducted and pursued from within a Western Eurocentric, racist, patriarchal and sexist framework. What does it mean to be an Aboriginal woman? Aboriginal women are the most disadvantaged group both economically and socially. I feel and am sure we have all heard this before; Aboriginal women are born with two strikes against them being Aboriginal and being a woman. I believe this to be true. As I continuously hear about violence against Aboriginal women, or as I watch a news clip concerning one of the missing or murdered Aboriginal women in Canada, I can’t help but ponder the thought; do they know that their situations and experiences are a result of colonialism? What is colonialism? To briefly describe my understanding of it, Aboriginal people have been disconnected from the land, their history, their identity, and their rights, so that others can benefit. To further elaborate Vermette (2009) explains that, “…the perpetuation of colonial power means that Aboriginal people continue to be faced with the inability to define their own world within the confines of Canadian law” (p.230).

The notion of identity is important to understand with regards to Aboriginal women’s issues. Aboriginal women are redefining and reclaiming what it means to be an Aboriginal woman in today’s world. For example, more Aboriginal women are being elected to band councils, and many are becoming leaders of their communities. While the numbers of Aboriginal women involved with First Nations politics are limited, there has been a shift in attitude towards the notion of them being leaders in communities. One example concerns the Assembly of First Nations. They have set up a women’s council so that women can have a voice in the community.  Here is a link if you wish find out more, AFN Womens Council 

Another example can be looked at from the education point of view. More Aboriginal women are getting educated, and this can be seen as a stepping stone into reclaiming and redefining Aboriginal identity. Education may open the gate that enables them to become leaders within their communities.  Furthermore, education instills a sense of identity, pride, hope, and can also be viewed as empowerment. Many Aboriginal women enter Euro-Canadian institutions, but many at the same time maintain, practice, and follow their traditional Aboriginal culture or beliefs. According to Voyageur (2011), “obtaining a post-secondary education is a relatively new phenomenon because, until, recently, reserve schools offered only a grade-eight-education-a level that was not high enough to gain a person entry to a post-secondary institution” (p. 65). This is important to take notice of, because educational standards on reserves are not up to par with the rest of Canada. Many Aboriginal women struggle to achieve post-secondary education, but education opens up a lot of doors.  

At present, Aboriginal women do not have the same rights as other Euro-Canadian women do. Laws in place such as the Indian Act and even provisions within the Canadian Human Rights Act currently allow and will continue to allow Aboriginal women to be discriminated against, on the basis of both their gender and race. According to Voyageur (2011), “Feminist post colonial theory provides a gendered analysis as a variation of post-colonial theory, and states that women suffer the long-term social, political, economic, and cultural economic effects of colonization more than men” ( p. 61). This notion can be seen with regards to Aboriginal women’s issues. I believe that women are affected more so than men, as a result of the colonization process and with provisions stated within the Indian Act. Example; Aboriginal women were not given the right to vote or they lost their status as a result of marrying a non-aboriginal man. It is only very recently that issues are starting to change for the better. More equality so to speak is occurring, but that is a slow process. We can see this with Bill C-31, with women being elected to Chief and Council, and also in terms of Aboriginal women gaining access to post-secondary education.

The feminist approach analyzes some of these structural differences. But can all the research and theory actually solve a problem? My view is no. It's just a way of analyzing and seeing the world. This statement may seem harsh or abrupt, but it’s just my personal view. I am sure many will disagree with me, and argue the opposite. One noticeable difference I see today concerns how research is being conducted. There are more Aboriginal scholars out there, particularly Aboriginal women, and this is a positive start in creating equality with regards to the research of Aboriginal issues. Aboriginal women are reclaiming and redefining their identity, but it has been a slow hard fought process.

- Dara

                                                                References

Vermette, D. (2009). Colonialism and the Suppression of Aboriginal Voice. Ottawa Law Review. 40 (2), 225.

Voyageur, C. J. (2011). Female First Nations Chiefs and the Colonial Legacy in Canada. UCLA American Indian Culture and Research Journal. 35 (3), 59-78.