Although Native Americans are characterized as both civilized and uncivilized in module one readings, their lifestyles and culture are observed to be civilized more often than not. The separate and distinct duties of men and women (Sigard, 1632) reveal a society that has defined roles and expectations based on gender. There are customs related to courtship (Le Clercq, 1691) that are similar to European cultures. Marriage was a recognized union amongst Native Americans, although not necessarily viewed as a serious, lifelong commitment like the Europeans (Heckewelder, 1819).
Surprisingly, Native American women had more freedom than the white women in the Chesapeake, Middle Colonies, or New England region. Some Native American women were given rights such as controlling land, political power, marriage and divorce in choice. There were matrilineal kinship system, in fact, marriage was not the most top rite of passage for them. The author covers around the 1600s- 1800s century time period while focusing on mainly white women but also women of color.
Native Americans’ social structure was very different from the way Anglo-American’s believed was the correct way for men and women to live. This created a major conflict as the Anglo’s begin to press on the Natives’ land. Anglo-American’s believed that the best thing for the Natives’ was to be assimilated and transformed into their way of life. The Anglo’s intervened into the Natives’ life with a Civilization Program, removal and reservations, and boarding schools. The ramifications had lasting negative effects on the Natives’ gender roles.
Respect is a big part of our lives still. Although the presence of many of the virtuous Native American values is very meager today, this one still exists as a miniscule glimmer across our lives. One must have respect for others to first have respect for themselves. You make a choice of how people will see you: as a incorrigible person, or as a respectful person. People will usually treat you accordingly.
In the Cherokee culture women and men are considered equal. The role of the Cherokee woman in the past is very different than the role of an American woman today. Men would cut down the trees and clear land so they could plant, they would use the wood to build news homes in fences around the villages, they may traps nets and other tools they hunted and fished and fix stuff when needed. Sometimes men move in with her wife 's family and sometimes he might build a home for his wife and family. In the Cherokee nation women where badass.
Before Christopher Columbus sailed the Atlantic Ocean to discover America in 1492, various groups of people had already located America. These groups of people were known as tribes. Tribes were often divided into several cultural groups because of the different beliefs and ideas they each followed. Although tribes date far back into history, they are still popular among millions of people today. According to the United States Census Bureau: “There are about 4.5 million Native Americans and Alaska Natives in the United States today. That is about 1.5 percent of the population” (History.com). Of all the tribes in the US today, one of the most popular tribes are the Cherokee Indian Tribes. They initially settled in the southeastern parts of the
The Choctaw Indian Tribe is very different in terms of the roles of the men and the women. Women assume the position of leader in most cases. However, they all have to work together. Men, women, and children have to come together to help the tribe to function.
The Navajo are a Native American tribe, whose reservation land spreads over 14,000 square miles. Their homes, food, tools, clothing, and culture are not the same as ours. Yet they still have their similarities and differences.
The first time the Jesuits encountered the communities they were confused. Neither the men nor women of the community exerted authority over each other, leaving the opportunity for both genders to hold important roles in community politics. In the Huron and Algonquian confederacies, women were in charge of the households, subsistence and economic decisions. The men in the communities held political and diplomatic authority, but as explained by Kathryn Magee Labelle, the women in the community appointed these male positions. Women in the Huron and Algonquian confederacies held authority to make decisions about the long houses, crops, and food consumption and distribution.
The different settlers in America had continued to down women as a gender, and make males more superior. As Perdue continues, she addresses how the power that Cherokee women held had began to plummet the more they were involved with Europeans. However, today there are still Cherokee women that stand strong, hold positions of power, and even are still respected as if it was the 18th
Typical Native American and African society was often matrilineal. This meant that familial relationships were divided through the maternal line, rather than the paternal one like in Europe. This provided women in these societies a great more power and authority than it did in Europe. Women often were involved in making and influencing decision making in the tribe or group. To Europeans, this type of gender egalitarianism was not just foreign but also considered savage.
The Pawnee native americans have different roles or jobs in their tribe for men and women. The women are more fieldworkers and men do the more dangerous stuff. They both have stuff they do together too. The women have many different jobs not just one or two.
America gained its independence in 1776 with the expectation that every American should have liberty and equality. However, American women did not have the right to vote until 1920, which was almost more than 140 years after the United States was established. Women could do little to protect themselves and promote their careers due to being treated unequally and inferior to men. During the 19th and the early 20th century, women were working hard and fighting for gender equality, so that more and more women could live a better life with basic civil rights in their hometowns. In reality, women’s equality was challenged by traditional conventions in the fields of biological difference in sexes, religion and gender roles, and different perspectives towards these conventions of different people made women’s civil rights controversial.
Women of the Medieval Times Women have always had a significant role in history even though they were treated horrible in most cases. During the Medieval Times was really the first time women were allowed to become more than just a house wife. The fight for equality has always been a struggle and even in today’s society is still an ongoing battle. Although women of lower and middle class were treated poorly in the Medieval Times, some powerful women held great responsibility and were looked up too by both men and children; despite being admired, “men were thought to be not only physically stronger but more emotionally stable, more intelligent, and morally less feeble” (Hopkins 5). “The position of women in the Medieval Society was greatly influenced by the views of the Roman Catholic Church” (Heeve).
Duties of both genders were unique to the success of their community. Without the touch of European hands Natives were living life as they’ve been since their unknown arrival in the Americas. ”(Encyclopedia of the Great Plains) Upon the news of Columbus’s voyage to the West Indies, Europeans saw the chance to claim the land or resources