Teleconference

This morning, I will be participating in a teleconference with an invite by the Canadian Jewish Congress - Pacific Region. Mr. Weintraub is interested in one key area which would be lovely if it could ever happen, which would be a day to recognize the contributions made to Canada by Native Women - specifically the Spring Equinox.

It was in talking to Mr. Weintraub that the idea developed. Taking from what I was discussing - the fact that the early traders and nations and thus the development of the fur trade etc, was really instrumental BECAUSE of Native women. How so? Well, the division of labour for starts. Just on this basis, you would have to reconsider the whole scenerio of it as just being a man's world back then.

Native women skinned and tanned the animals instrumental for the fur trade to exist.

Then you would have to consider the whole relationship building process. One question that comes to mind, is why wasn't the "overtaking" of Canada more bloody? Now, I really do not want to imply that the Woman were solely responsible for Turtle Island's being "overtaken", but what I would like to suggest is this, in the course of the development of Canada, Native women played a key role in it's development.

If you consider how any political event happens, outside of total revolution based on violence, it's usually a subtle, quiet, sign on the dotted line event. Thus too, that in the early days of Canada, the Native men were making their "political" moves based partly on "a la facon du pays" or "marriage alliances", or as Sylvia Van Kirk says - "created reciprocal social ties", just as the traders were making "political" moves on similiar grounds, each doing business with each other, for the most part - especially in the early early days - on mutual trust based on survival.

Today - survival is still the question. The difference is that, the traders of the early days, do not have the same level of mutual trust or respect for dealing with the "natives".

From 1670 at the founding of the Hudson's Bay Company to 1820 when the Anglican missionairies established "a la facon du pays" immoral and debased, did the Native women enjoy freedoms in her lands (this area open to debate on definition of freedom, but in the day, the cultural roles dictated woman had certain roles to fullfill entailing much manual labour).

Since this time, the struggle to establish any type of position in the new society, or even respect for her contribtutions for keeping both her nation and the early colonizers alive, have been ignored.

Read: Sylvia Van Kirk, Susan Sleeper-Smith, I would like to read a book called: Fools Crow by James Welch - I did read a review by Barbara Cook on Fools Crow, which looks at his book from a feminist's perspective and applies it directly at the Native woman.

The one thing that I have found, personally, is the reality that Native woman do not have an established "position" in society today. It is an interesting thought to think that Native women in Canada are suppressed. But when you consider that from 1820 on, the religious institutions, in one fashion or another, dictated different norms based on religious values, taught the "settlers" how to treat Native women. The opportunity to establish any grounding for Native women was lost. It was suppressed before it was "allowed" to exist.

I do not want to be "allowed" to have a position in society. As a Native woman, my brown skin and my ancestors have given me this opportunity to say something today. Which I will, loud and proud.

I sound like such an activist!

:-)

G