Women are Discriminated Against within Politics in ...

Women are Discriminated Against within Politics in Indigenous Communities Because of their Gender by

Darlene Norma Horseman

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts

Faculty of Native Studies University of Alberta

? Darlene Norma Horseman 2017

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to prove that women are discriminated against within politics in Indigenous Communities because of their gender. It will demonstrate how the Cree people historically were once an egalitarian society. Even though women were not often seen in leadership roles, such as chiefs, leaders of hunting or war parties, they still had important roles to play in their societies.

This study set out to prove how colonial legislation had a big influence on changing the way-ofknowing and thinking for many Native groups including, but not limited to the Cree people of Canada. It will demonstrate how the Cree people would no longer be an egalitarian society, but now be forced to live in a patriarchal society created by the Canadian government.

This thesis will prove that Cree women had important roles in their societies using the following theories/methodologies:

Storytelling ? Oral history and Interviews Indigenous Feminism Literature Review

These methodologies and theories were chosen, as they best reflected the philosophies of the Cree people in the Treaty 8 area.

In this study, three individual members of Horse Lake First Nation were interviewed to demonstrate how many Aboriginal men have taken on and accepted the western views of the colonizer. Many carry out those views by disempowering the women in their communities. Some of them have the idea that women should not be in positions of power and they belong in the household looking after domestic duties. Missionaries and Residential Schools aided in teaching male dominance to the Native people in Canada. They were given the mandate by the federal government to train female students to become submissive to male authority. Past Literature written about Aboriginal women reveals and confirms the discrimination they experienced. Even at the Supreme Court of Canada level, Aboriginal women were deemed savages.

In conclusion, this study shows how discrimination women continue to face on their reserves resulted from colonial legislation, government restrictions and mandates. It shows how women, even today, continue to be discriminated against. Yes, the laws have changed to eliminate gender discrimination, but now they face it within their own communities, by their own people. Women continue to be devalued and struggle to be treated as equals. Women have never been elected as chief and continue to be disrespected in positions of management.

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PREFACE After running for Chief in my reserve, I discovered that our community had not entirely recovered from the patriarchal society that was created for us by colonization, missionaries, and government laws. This realization made me question whether or not our people, the Cree people, were always of this mindset. Were the Cree People historically a patriarchal society and if not, what changed their way of thinking? This is when I decided to write my thesis surrounding the discrimination women face on their reserves when dealing with politics.

Growing up with the women in my life, such as my mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, I had difficulty believing that our women were always submissive. My mother in her youth was a woman who chose not to give up her independence. She would be involved in many relationships throughout her life; however, rejected marrying any of the men that asked her for her hand in marriage. My mother usually left men that became too controlling, but one man managed to keep her under his control for a time long enough to have two daughters with him. This man was controlling and abusive but fortunately after a few years she left him. This is when I decided, I would never allow any man to control or hit me.

Next, my grandmother always demonstrated great authority in her home and never had any difficulty standing up for herself or her children, regardless of the situation. In fact, she never hesitated to tell her common-law husband what to do.

Finally, my great-grandmother was also a strong independent woman who proved she needed no one to get things done. Even whilst in her seventies, she displayed great leadership and strength. She was always telling everyone around her what to do. I admired her for her strength and resilience in continuing to practice the Cree culture, even when the Priests in the

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area were trying to teach her otherwise. In the summer months, my great-grandmother spent a majority of her time outdoors making dry meat or tanning hides. She did this until she fell ill and ended up in the hospital well into her eighties.

I discovered while researching my thesis that the Cree people were once an egalitarian society, but would conform to the Canadian/British ideals. Our community, even though laws have changed to eliminate gender discrimination, continues to support the idea of male dominance. This proved true while I was running for chief in our band elections. Comments were often made about women having no business running for chief, as men made better leaders. They would also say that women were not strong enough to be leaders in our community.

I hope that this study will help anyone who reads it understand how difficult it was to write about the history of my people and why we ended up where we are today. I also hope it will educate others that women were not always submissive to the man and they did have a place in their communities that was just as important as the men.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis was conducted while I was teaching Cree at the Grande Prairie Regional College, operating my store on reserve, working as the Director of Community Based Services for Horse Lake First Nation and working as a Coordinator of the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre. I also spent the ladder part of writing my thesis in Edmonton where my teenage boy attended the Inner City High School, so he could play Triple A and Double A Midget Hockey.

I would like to thank many people for putting up with me while writing my thesis. First, I must thank my supervisor, Professor, Dr. James Dempsey for helping me organize and make sense of my thesis. There were very few Mondays that went by in my final year, that he and I did not sit to go over my thesis at his home or at his office at the University of Alberta where he was a full-time instructor. I would also like to acknowledge my band for their financial support over the years that it took me to complete my thesis.

In addition, I wish to thank Professor, Dr. Isabel Altamirano-Jimenez for agreeing to be my supervisor in the first three years of my thesis writing. Even though, she was often very busy to meet with me, her insight when we did meet was valued a great deal and helped remind me to be careful not to essentialize my people. As well as, I want to say thank you to Philip Joachim, Norma Horseman and Faye Horseman for taking the time to allow me to interview them. Their participation in this study proved to be an essential part of my thesis.

I especially want to thank my partner, Kathryn Savard for her support, patience and confidence she gave me when I sometimes felt like giving up. The time she took out of her busy schedule to make sure my orders were done and store business was looked after will always be appreciated. Also, my sons and step kids for all the support they gave me whenever I needed

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