Prior to the arrival of settlers, Indigenous women were held in higher regard than European women in their own communities. Indigenous women had as much choice in marriage as men. Many First Nations were matrilineal, meaning power was passed down from the mother. Women among the Hurons and Iroquois had important spiritual roles, as well as responsibilities regarding food and their crops. Cree women were “at the centre of the Circle of Life,” having social, political, and cultural responsibilities in their communities. Indigenous women were actively participating and leading in their communities.
However, settler contact and influence drastically changed Indigenous gender roles. Many Acts stripped Indigenous women of their identities. In the 1869 Gradual Enfranchisement Act, Indigenous women and her children would “cease to be an Indian” if she were to marry a non-Indian, and lose membership to her previous band if she married into another. The Indian Act in 1876 contained much of the same policies regarding Indigenous women in the Gradual Enfranchisement Act, with most of the “benefits” and leniency directed towards men. None of the Acts aligned with the way many Indigenous communities structured their leadership to include women. European ideals and politics were forced upon Indigenous communities, barring Indigenous women from the rights, privileges, and freedoms that they had previously.
In 1985, the Canadian government would amend the Indian Act with Bill C-31, allowing women – who lost their Indian status by marrying a non-Indian man – to regain their status. The initial passing of Bill C-31 saw issues, including a second generation cutoff for reinstatement, but many Indigenous communities fought for further amendments.
Through primary source artifacts, including objects and government documents, this exhibit follows Indigenous women’s political journey throughout the centuries. One artifact is the Bill C-31, meant to show the document as assented in June 28, 1985, while providing a few discussions on the Indian Act’s amendments. A newspaper article reveals that Indigenous women have always been fighting for their rights. This exhibit aims to bring to light a few of the recorded contributions from Indigenous women, despite the pressure they were put under by European settlers.
Bibliography:
Emberley, Julia. 2001. “The Bourgeois Family, Aboriginal Women, and Colonial Governance in Canada: A Study in Feminist Historical and Cultural Materialism.” Signs 27 (1): 59-85. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3175866
Government of Canada. 1869. 1869 Gradual Enfranchisement Act. NCTR Archives, reference code LM-002-003-002. https://archives.nctr.ca/LM-002-003-002
Hartley, Gerard. 2007. “The Search for Consensus: A Legislative History of Bill C-31, 1969–19851.” Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International 5: 4-34. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/aprci/98
Zemon Davis, Natalie. 2003. “Iroquois Women, European Women.” In Feminist Postcolonial Theory, edited By Reina Lewis and Sara Mills, 135-160. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203825235