February 23, 2005 An Aboriginal ‘Woman's Perspective By JULIA POLson “MINWAASHIN” CONTRIBUTOR Aboriginal women in Canadian society arc not out to become “hard- core” feminists: I think that this assumption is based upon a stcreo- typical view of women in géncral. The general public tends to vicw women, who do assert their rights for equality and are not shy at going about getting their necds met, as feminists. Not all who want cquality rights can be called feminists. Aboriginal women find that termi- nology to be inaccurate when defin- ing where they arc coming from when it comes to equality. Aboriginal women view feminism as something foreign and something that it is grounded in a belicf ‘struc- ture that is alien to the holistic world-view that most aboriginal women hold near and dear. Some aboriginal women in my native com- munity suggest that the very notion of feminism is “not right” because it builds walls instead of bridges between men and women. The older gencration say that “it erases or trivializes the commonalitics” that both sexes share. It should be asserted that it is “community well- being” and not “feminism” that will promote a woman’s effort for cqual- ity and justice for themselves and their children. Among Aboriginal Women the issuc of gender equality is extremely sensitive. Most native women agree that sexual discrimination is some- thing they face on a daily basis. It is something that cannot be separated from the effects of colonialism and/or racism. The twin legacies of colonialism and racism continue to marginalize Aboriginal peoples and devalue their heritage by mocking their culture and belittling their tra- ditions. The minimizing of Aboriginal women, not only based on their nationality, but on their sex, is something that has not been ade- quately addressed. Reports and drafts have becn made and the most recent being circulated by Status of Women Canada is done by Madeleine Dion Stout and Greg Kipling. This draft was used to start discussion among the Aboriginal Women attending the Roundtable. While sitting around with some fellow aboriginal business women, many questions and comments were made when the topic switched from Canada’s new minority government to equality in the workforce. It was made readily apparent that women and men complement each other and there should be support for working in partnership with men instead of being against them. This is not to say that women, First Nation, Métis, Innu or non-native, sit around and_talk about feminism when they get together. This is also not to say that Aboriginal Women are willing to acecpt anything lcss that full cquality. In one woman's words “I don’t want to turn into a man, but I do want equal pay and equal rights. I’ve got skills he doesn’t have, and he’s got skills I don’t have.” Besides agrecing with the principle of ‘equal pay for work of equal valuc’ the importance is on equality with men when it comes to hiring, skills training, economic devclopment, policy making and decision making, From the government institutions to non-Aboriginal Canadians it is morc than obvious that Aboriginal Women got must educate people on the Anishinabe culture. The Canadian public, needs to sec that we, Native women, are not docile. We may appear to be such, since we do not appear to discuss issues of this magnitude at community mect- ings or Band Offices. Coming to terms with gendcr- based discrimination against all Aboriginal women, including Mctis, must be tandem with stopping racism from non-Aboriginal Canadians and federal and provin- cial institutions. One participant from the Aboriginal Women Roundtable commented that “what we're really talking about here is not gender’ cquality, but rather racial equality. We need to obtain racial equality in our own country.” That statement raises the question of what is going on with us, as a Canadian society. Law enforcement and the Canadian judicial system need to pay attention to the actual realities of life for Aboriginal people. Regardless of gender, family vio- lence needs to be addressed within a broader context of institutionalized violence against all Aboriginals. An excellent example of the govern- ments not facing reality is the treat- ment of the Aboriginal pcoples in Quebec since the Oka crisis of the carly 1990s, resulting in untold pain and suffering for both women and men living in that province. Does this finally put to rest all those people that believe Aboriginals have it casy? That our lives are basi- cally smooth sailing is a gross cxag- geration. Aboriginal Women have been known to have the worst of everything. Life on a reservation means living extremely below the standard of living, living in poverty, possibly being crammed into a three bedroom house with four kids and your partner (or noé), being only seen as another probable victim of domestic violence, and trying to access resources that you just don’t qualify for. Aboriginal Women are not feminists, but they will try to make life better, not for themsclves but for their children. In passing, this does not only seem to apply to Aboriginal Women but to the Canadian women at large. We all deal with stereotypes and there are always many obstacles to overcome. Until Next time... Mecgwetch! Women’s Supplement Page 3 » “Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue: it is hard fer an empty bag to stand uprig Beyanin Franklin But what about women? “Tiiernational Day for the kradwation of. Poverty Nalolie F homseu Poetry Just Chill Mom Br Hitpa WI1rTit - How I'd Like to Die By Hitps Wirru My wholc body is I like to die being described wound up tight As one he a feisty:eccentric old lady while My blood is boiling Beating olf handsome young meu bursting the Fahrenheit Celsius and Kelvin thermometer scales 3 My dearest swectest angel child With mv curvy twisted cane I like to die with me swinging BRAT With carolers rejoicing cussin’ songs Looks at me coolly Swinging so low ever swing low: sooooo coolly swinging from erystal chandeliers ever 30000000 calmly : I like to dic on a paradise island he sips smoothly, leisurely his favorite flavour of Kool-Aid Lounging on a sandy, silky sanded beach ever Drinking virgin pina-coladas s00000 coolly Soaking in champagne ever Musing if one aud one soooooe00 calmly. is alwavs two without any caution he tells ME; his enraged Mom: “Chill Mom just chill.” [like to. die peacefully in my sleep With a satisfied smile After moaning yelling out “Oh my God” He does not realize my. thoughts arc so frozen I am giving him the iciest evil eyes glaring the pinnacle of icicle stares I am as chilled as dry ice sooooo chilled that it burns My frozen icicle thoughts arc thinking impossible and improbable thoughts of strangling and wriggling and squirming, shuttering quivering and yelling out “Stop!! I can't take it anymore” after multiply orgasms after a wild unorganized orgy [like to dic knowing my children will know that this is not the end of flushing or locking him in a dungeon that does not exist I shatter the silence of the ever soooce cool and ever sooooo quict night with my ice shattering bursting the cubical decibel scale screeching scream Stomp in Slam the sercen door and my two sons are shaking _ splitting ‘ themselves with shricks and fits of Splintering shattering their Mom’s icicle spell “Mom you are soooo funny” says my stoned angel child laughter T did not chill Just thawed.