Indigenous feminism facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Indigenous feminism is a way of thinking and acting that brings together ideas about feminism with the unique experiences of Indigenous women. It focuses on helping Indigenous women and their families become stronger. This includes working to undo the harms of colonization, protecting Indigenous self-governance (their right to rule themselves), and ensuring human rights for everyone in their communities.

The main goal is to empower Indigenous women using their own cultural values and priorities. This is different from the ideas often found in mainstream, non-Indigenous (often called "white") ways of thinking, which can be unfair to women. You can compare it to womanism, which is a similar idea for African-American communities.

Indigenous communities are very diverse. Some Indigenous women still have a lot of power in their nations. But many others have lost their traditional roles or live far from their traditional communities. Women who have power at home might have different goals than those who are still fighting for basic human rights.

Modern Indigenous feminism grew because there was a need to focus on the specific problems Indigenous women face. Indigenous peoples have survived many years of genocide, colonization, and racism. This means Indigenous women often have different priorities. Mainstream feminists have sometimes not focused enough on the urgent problems in Indigenous communities.

Indigenous feminism is connected to postcolonial feminism. Both recognize the terrible effects of colonization on Indigenous peoples and their lands. They also stress how important it is to undo these harmful systems that came with colonization. The strong connection to ancestral lands and current fights for land rights and the environment also link Indigenous feminism to some parts of ecofeminism, which connects women's issues with environmental ones. It's important to see Indigenous feminism as different from mainstream non-Indigenous feminism. This is because Indigenous women have unique experiences that shape their views on important topics.

Indigenous feminism is also known by other names depending on the region. For example, it's called Native American feminism in the United States. In Canada, it's called First Nations feminism. In Australia, it's known as Aboriginal or Indigenous Australian feminism. Even though the word "Indigenous" is used globally, most writings about "Indigenous feminism" often focus on North American Indigenous groups. This includes Native American, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

How Colonization Changed Things
Ideas and Studies
Challenges with Mainstream Feminism
Criticisms of Indigenous Feminism
Activism
Different Views by Nation and Region
See also

How Colonization Changed Things

In most Indigenous communities, colonization and the arrival of Christianity caused the biggest and most damaging changes. These changes affected the standing and treatment of women.

Colonization forced Indigenous people into a system that was both racist and unfair to women. This greatly changed the social, economic, and cultural ways of Indigenous societies before Europeans arrived. The power women held in Indigenous communities (economic, political, and spiritual) threatened the Europeans. They used fear of Indigenous spiritual practices to justify their control. Also, no matter what women's roles were before colonization, their status was lowered. Colonization worked to make Indigenous social systems fit the ideas of the white settlers.

The problems Indigenous people face today come from the actions settlers took to gain control through colonization. White settlers often brought new economic systems from Europe. These included ideas of private property, ownership, and specific jobs for men and women. These ideas were forced onto Indigenous communities. For example, the introduction of capitalist economies changed the traditional economic power of Indigenous women. Poverty is a big problem for many Indigenous people today. This can be traced back to these forced economic ideas.

To take away women's political power, colonizers forced new rules on Indigenous people. The Indian Act of Canada is one example. This law said women's status was lower than men's. Indigenous identity was then decided through the father's family line. This made women lose much of their social and political power. Women's political and spiritual power are often linked. So, religious traditions that favored men also pushed women and Two-Spirit people out of leadership roles. Losing power in these areas put Indigenous people at a higher risk of violence. The main point about colonization's effects is that it didn't just colonize people. It also made people believe that the colonizer's way of governing was the best way.

Ideas and Studies

Indigenous feminism aims to build on traditional Indigenous ways while also including modern ideas about intersectionality. Intersectionality means understanding how different parts of a person's identity (like being Indigenous and a woman) combine to affect their experiences. Indigenous feminism is different from postcolonial feminism. Some argue that postcolonial theory often ignores the history of colonialism for Indigenous peoples. Other Indigenous scholars have worried about the limits of postcolonial theory for Indigenous studies. There is often a distrust of Western ideas because they can ignore Indigenous viewpoints. Many have turned to Indigenous feminism to address these issues.

Modern Indigenous feminism grew because people wanted to challenge the idea that Western feminism could apply to all women. This was seen as unhelpful because it made everyone's experiences seem the same. Building on the idea of intersectionality, Indigenous feminist theory tries to fix how non-Indigenous feminism often ignores differences within groups.

Scholars Cheryl Suzack and Shari M. Huhndorf explain that Indigenous feminism is a new area of study. But it comes from a long history of women's activism and culture. This activism has fought against unfair treatment of women. It has also worked for social justice for Indigenous women and against their being ignored. These efforts fit under the idea of feminism, even though Indigenous women have had a difficult relationship with the term and with mainstream feminist movements. It's important that the urgent issues in Indigenous feminism cross the line between what is considered feminist and what is considered Indigenous.

Much of Indigenous feminism focuses on problems caused by colonial practices. It is a direct response to the colonization and ongoing unfair treatment of Indigenous peoples worldwide. The need to question cultural practices from within allows Indigenous women to shape their own communities. This helps them gain self-determination and cultural ownership. Showing the differences between Indigenous feminism and non-Indigenous feminism highlights how non-Indigenous feminism doesn't fully understand Indigenous experiences.

Indigenous feminism is also different from other Indigenous rights movements. This is because those movements have not always paid attention to how colonial oppression and racism affect men and women differently. They also haven't always addressed unfair treatment of women that exists within some communities. Some people within Indigenous communities choose not to call themselves feminists. They distance themselves from mainstream feminism for many reasons. However, Kim Anderson argues that if Western feminism focuses on rights instead of responsibilities, then everyone should take responsibility seriously. This means making sure all members of society are treated fairly.

Many scholars and activists see Indigenous feminism as connected to radical feminism. This is because it often calls for big changes to all power systems that unfairly treat Indigenous women based on both male dominance and racial differences. Indigenous feminism encourages both men and women to participate in decolonization. Myrna Cunningham (Miskita) said that the fight of Indigenous Peoples does not threaten the struggles of Indigenous women. Instead, she sees these struggles as helping each other. Decolonization is seen as the best way to fight the unfair treatment of Indigenous people.

Challenges with Mainstream Feminism

Indigenous feminists are often hesitant to work with mainstream Western feminist ideas. This is because mainstream feminism often fails to recognize how colonization has affected Indigenous women. Also, there's a history of non-Indigenous women not understanding or helping with the many challenges Indigenous women face. Mainstream feminists usually think that fighting unfair treatment based on sex or gender is the most important thing. They see Indigenous identity as less important. Aileen Moreton-Robinson wrote that non-Indigenous feminists don't like to see themselves as part of the problem. They feel this would take away from their focus on being oppressed themselves. This focus on putting non-Indigenous women's needs first has historical roots. It can make Indigenous feminists wary of making all women's goals and rights seem the same.

All Indigenous women share the experience of unfair treatment from colonialism. This is an unfair treatment they share with all other Indigenous peoples. The views of Indigenous women are shaped by their historical connection to their land. They also carry a legacy of losing their land, racism, and sexism. Non-Indigenous middle-class feminist women often benefit from colonialism without realizing it. They benefit from the loss of land for Indigenous people. For Indigenous women, all non-Indigenous feminists have benefited from colonization and continue to do so. Non-Indigenous women are often overrepresented and hold key roles. They are seen as the normal standard of womanhood in Australia and other colonized countries.

According to Carrie Bourassa, the problem with addressing Indigenous feminist issues through this lens is that non-Indigenous mainstream feminism itself was shaped by colonialism. It used Indigenous identity, racism, and Christianity to make Indigenous people seem "other." This justified a need to "civilize" them. As a result, Indigenous women's work has often been left out of mainstream discussions.

When non-Indigenous feminists have "helped" or "included" Indigenous women, it has often been just for show. They mainly advocated for their own benefit, not for the benefit of all women, including Indigenous Australian women. Many Indigenous feminist movements have shown that Indigenous feminism is about understanding history and politics. It's also about dealing with current social, economic, cultural, and political issues. While Indigenous women may agree that some goals overlap with mainstream feminists, many, like Celeste Liddle (Arrernte), strongly believe their fights are related but not the same.

Minnie Grey, an Inuit woman, explains that mainstream feminism often doesn't look beyond basic unfair treatment based on sex and gender. It misses other issues like social class, education, and how these affect Indigenous men. She says: "We, as Inuit women, have been striving for such things as equal pay for equal work, equal share of roles for the good of the family, equal rights to participate in the decision-making processes of our governments, equal rights for the hiring of women at all levels of commerce and science, equal rights in education, and most importantly, equal rights to raise our children in safe, healthy, and positive conditions. This means, among other things, above the poverty line. I look at these aspirations not as women's liberation, but as people's liberation. In fact, we need and love our men, and similarly, we need to liberate them from the concepts that bind them to unbreakable traditional roles that, in turn, keep the status quo intact in many regions of the world."

One example of needing unique Indigenous perspectives is in the second wave's fight for equal pay with men. Celeste Liddle argues that while equal pay is important for everyone, Aboriginal people historically were not paid for their work at all for many years. So, the second wave's fight for wage equality often pushed the rights of Indigenous women to the side.

Another example is how long it took to achieve certain rights. For instance, while non-Indigenous women in Canada could vote in 1918, Aboriginal women in Canada couldn't vote until the 1960s. By then, the second wave of feminism had moved on from such issues.

Rauna Kuokkanen (Sami) has argued for a specifically Indigenous way of thinking, rather than a feminist one. She says that while some feminist theories aim for social and political changes, their approaches often don't include ideas of community or land rights. These are central for Indigenous peoples.

Myrna Cunningham also criticizes mainstream feminism: "They see that the dominant feminist paradigm is based on an unacknowledged model of centre and periphery. In this model, Indigenous, African-descendent, and poor women occupy the periphery and must accept the ideas and conceptualization of feminism as defined by those at the centre. In other words, we Indigenous women are expected to accept the dominant picture of what constitutes women's oppression and women's liberation. The trouble is, this picture is only a partial match with our own experiences. Elements of our experience that do not match this picture are denied or marginalized. This dominant model tries to homogenize the women's movement, claiming that all women have the same demands and the same access to the enjoyment of their rights. This flawed assumption denies the diverse cultural, linguistic and social needs and visions of distinct groups of women."

Indigenous feminist scholars have resisted others taking over their work. As a group, various Indigenous feminist scholars have called for honesty and responsibility. This is important because of the painful histories of colonization, slavery, and genocide that still affect the present. This ensures Indigenous feminism is shaped by decolonization.

Criticisms of Indigenous Feminism

Some Western academics and pop culture writers criticize Indigenous feminism by saying that Indigenous people "choose to distance themselves from feminism." They view feminism as unimportant because the status of women in some Indigenous societies was higher before colonization. This means that, according to some, being "Indigenous" is already "feminist." But this criticism itself relies on a definition of feminism (often "white feminism") as only for Western women. Feminism as a whole is often seen as a non-Indigenous American idea. Many scholars and feminists argue that non-Indigenous feminism doesn't address the concerns of women from more diverse backgrounds well enough. Indigenous Australian feminist Aileen Moreton-Robinson argues that all Indigenous women live in a society that pushes them aside. This needs to be challenged through Indigenous feminism. While all feminism aims to identify connected forms of unfair treatment that affect all women, historically, racism and non-Native ignorance of Native women's ongoing existence and specific struggles (like the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis) have made Indigenous women feel unwelcome. They feel mainstream feminism doesn't address their most important concerns.

Most texts labeled "Indigenous feminism" focus only on Indigenous populations in the United States. To a lesser extent, they also focus on First Nations peoples of Canada. This is often the case when "Indigenous feminists" themselves are mentioned, such as Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and Leslie Marmon Silko.

There are other forms of feminism that address Indigenous populations. They may share similar ideas and themes with Indigenous feminism but don't directly call themselves "Indigenous feminism." These include intersectional feminism, transnational feminism, postcolonial feminism, Native Hawaiian feminism, feminism in India, and Asian feminism. These forms of feminism are often kept separate in studies and activism because of small differences in beliefs and focuses. Some people have called for more unity among these groups and ideas.

Activism

Resistance and activism against dominant colonial powers can take many forms. These include legal or political protests, healing practices, storytelling, or art activism.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW)

The ongoing attempts to harm Indigenous women are a top priority in Indigenous feminism. However, in mainstream feminism, this killing of women is rarely prioritized. This is unless it involves non-Indigenous women being murdered.

On October 4 and February 14, Indigenous feminists have encouraged communities for years to hold vigils and take action for justice for these women and their families. "Sisters In Spirit" is one group that organizes these vigils. They honor the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). These vigils led the Government of Canada to start a National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in September 2016. This inquiry looked at the violence against Indigenous women and girls in Canada. It examined the patterns, reasons, and the overall system that causes this violence. Even though the inquiry faced challenges, it concluded that there is an ongoing genocide against Indigenous women in North America.

In the United States, the National Resource Center to Enhance Safety of Native Women and their Children (NIWRC) was created. Its goal is to help Native American and Alaska Native tribes and organizations respond to domestic violence. This organization also shares Indigenous feminist ideas by focusing on the self-governance and safety of Indigenous women and children.

Idle No More

Idle No More is an Indigenous movement started by three Indigenous women and one non-Native ally. Its goal is to change how people talk about rights, self-governance, and nationhood. It argues that Indigenous women should hold political power in Indigenous nations, or at least have an equal say. Their main activism themes include self-governance, the rebirth of nationhood, environmental protection, and fighting violence against Indigenous women. This work involves changing The Indian Act of Canada, a law that limits Indigenous self-governance. They also advocate for environmental protection. Their activism asks everyone, Indigenous or not, to respect Indigenous self-governance and protect the environment. Another Canadian organization that promotes Indigenous feminist ideals is the Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC). They work to empower women by developing and changing laws that affect Indigenous people.

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Working to change the name of "Christopher Columbus Day" to "Indigenous Peoples' Day" is an example of changing the story of Indigenous identity in the United States. Supporters of this change believe that Columbus has been praised too much. They point out many negative aspects of him, including his arrogance, poor management of his colonies, and his clear conscience about enslaving Native Peoples, even when it went against the wishes of his royal supporters. This day joins other days celebrating Indigenous populations. These include Native American Heritage Month in the United States, Dia del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity) in Argentina, Dia de la Hispanidad (Hispanicity Day) in Spain, Dia de la Resistencia Indigena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela, and International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

Intergenerational Trauma and Indigenous Healing Practices

Because of the trauma passed down through generations due to violent colonization, healing is a very important part of resistance. Healing practices include returning to pre-colonized traditional Indigenous work like weaving, sewing, music, or actively participating in Indigenous community. Also, reclaiming self-governance through storytelling and writing are forms of Indigenous activism. Writing is especially useful for healing and activism. It helps people survive unfair treatment and engage in the healing process. The book This Bridge Called My Back, Writings by Radical Women of Color shows this idea by publishing honest and creative stories about Native and Indigenous feminism.

Different Views by Nation and Region

Australia

Throughout Australian history, much of the activism by Indigenous feminists has fought for much more than just women's freedom. They have continuously advocated for the freedom of all Indigenous Australians. This includes better health care, changes to unfair racism in the media and legal system, and improvements to the education system. They also push for a more inclusive, bilingual teaching system. The hope is to bring back Indigenous languages in schools and communities. Feminist movements within the Indigenous community are seemingly never just about making things better for women. They are about improving the quality of life for all Indigenous Australians.

The ongoing fight for complete freedom in Indigenous communities, mainly led by women, means seeking to regain power as individuals and as a community. This movement first aims to recognize colonization as a form of taking away power. Then, it works to rebuild and revive Indigenous women's spiritual and cultural practices, along with healing. It is believed that a key part of healing the wounds caused by colonization is for women to tell their stories. These are stories that have otherwise been erased, twisted, or changed to suit the needs of the colonizer. Currently, there are ongoing debates and protests across Australia to change the date or name of Australia's national day, known as "Australia Day." This day celebrates the arrival of the First Fleet to the Australian continent on January 26th. Among Indigenous Australians, this date is known as "Invasion Day." There have been calls to change the day to a different date because of how painful it is for Indigenous Australians. There are also recommendations to change the name to "Survival Day" to acknowledge the mistreatment and displacement of Indigenous communities. Following these calls, Melbourne's Yarra Council has stopped holding citizenship ceremonies on January 26th.

Mexico

Mainstream feminism is often seen by women of color as a movement focused on non-Indigenous, straight, middle-class women. However, the feminist movement as a whole has never been only for the Global North. It has roots all over the world, crossing ethnic, racial, and geographical boundaries. In Mexico, Mexican feminists emphasize that their politics differ among their diverse ethnic and social groups. So, it's important to challenge ideas about what is and isn't considered "feminist." Indigenous feminism is a collective feminism. This is unlike many forms of Western, mainstream feminism, which tend to focus on individuals and liberal ideas. In Mexico, 7 out of 10 Indigenous women live in poverty, and 3 out of 10 live in extreme poverty. They face unfair treatment not only because of their gender but also because of their social class and ethnicity.

In Mexico, a movement different from mainstream, liberal feminism had to be created to better represent Indigenous feminist women. Since Indigenous feminists belong to two minority groups, they are usually excluded by non-Indigenous feminists. Dominant feminism, along with the term feminism itself, is challenged for making generalizations about women. Also, both are seen as not recognizing that gender is understood differently in different historical contexts. Indigenous women have their own idea of women's dignity. Feminism in Mexico mainly focuses on universal demands like closing the wage gap between men and women and ending domestic violence. Mexican feminism often fails to speak out against colonialism, racism, and economic inequalities as sources of unfair separation and discrimination against Indigenous women.

Suffering, discrimination, and indifference led these women to take action, speak up, and demand active participation against ethnic inequalities. Indigenous women have redefined what culture, community, rights, and customs mean. According to Lugo, this process can be seen as the first signs of Indigenous feminism. With the birth of Indigenous feminism in Mexico, the goal is to rethink the reality of Indigenous people. This means looking not only at their gender identity but also at their ethnic identity. They demand a change in Mexican society and the State. They criticize the nationalism that has led the government and Mexican people to rely on unfair values that can cause ethnic violence.

The Zapatista and Women's Revolutionary Law

Mainly made up of the Chiapas Indigenous groups (Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Chol, Tiobal, Zoque, Kanjobal, and Mame), the Zapatista movement has fought for Indigenous Mexican rights. Women play a big role in the Zapatista army. They seek "politics without gender unfairness" as well as Indigenous rights. Olivera states that Indigenous peasant women who became fighters or "support networks" made up one-third of the Zapatista membership. The Zapatista's goal is to end racial and gender separation. They aim to break into a male-dominated public space where their voices have been silenced. The Zapatista movement led to the Indigenous right to self-determination being included in the Mexican constitution. At the same time, the Zapatistas strongly supported women's rights with the Women's Revolutionary Law. This law is important to feminism because it is placed alongside the other Zapatista laws. The Women's Revolutionary Law and the Zapatista women led to the creation of spaces for Indigenous women from different regions to organize on their own. This changed the types of activities and discussions that had marked their organizing efforts up to the 1990s.

Native American Feminism

Native American feminism, or Native feminism, is a type of feminist movement. It is based on the real-life experiences of Native American and First Nations women. As a part of the larger Indigenous feminism, it also focuses on decolonization, Indigenous self-governance, and empowering Indigenous women and girls. This is done within the context of Native American and First Nations cultural values and priorities, rather than non-Indigenous, mainstream ones. A very important and urgent issue for Native feminists is the missing and murdered Indigenous women crisis (MMIW).