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This week’s reading was centered on Cherokee Women and their role within Native American society. Theda Purdue’s “Cherokee Women” is the first piece regarding Native Americans (specifically the Cherokee Tribe) I have ever seen that serves as a gender study, truly making this piece one of a kind. Echoing the statements made by both AJ and Ian, this book presents an often ignored aspect of American history as it not only tells the story of a group of women but women who make up one of the “minority” groups of the United States at this time. Now when I say minority group I mean a group of people that to this day continues to be treated as second class citizens that throughout American history has constantly received the short end of the stick. Having a small bit of knowledge regarding Cherokee tribal life (not necessarily women in the Cherokee tribe) I found myself constantly intrigued by the accounts demonstrating the power of women and the respect that they garnered within the tribe. This account more specifically shows that women were the backbone of tribes as they controlled property and dictated how family life would take place, meaning they in many ways decided where the family lived.
“Women in the United States” (regardless of where or how they lived) is a category of history that I believe men in particular today pay little attention to due to false information being presented due to the state of women in Europe. AJ and Ian’s comments regarding their thoughts of women in early America doing what their husbands told them and raising the children prove this point (I think at least). So often we forget the significant roles women such as Abigail Adams and Martha Washington played in influencing their husband’s policy or putting their minds at ease regarding an issue. David McCullough’s book John Adams provides more insight to the role of Mrs. Adams in her husband’s life; but that is a blog for another day. Ultimately, what I am trying to show by this little tangent is that this view of women simply remaining quiet and doing as they were told is not true that many men have is simply untrue. This is not to say though that all women with European origin were outspoken voices.
Cherokee women simply are “persistent” according to Purdue and I cannot think of a better world to describe these women she focuses her work on. Despite the numerous changes the Cherokee tribe has experienced over the years due to white people expansion out west women have always remained a force in the community. Even when it appears that whites desire to lessen the role of the Cherokee Women, these women find a way to hold on to some sort of power/control. Ian comments on this specifically in his blog but the way in which women ran family life simply is fascinating I feel. Their ability to call the shots regarding if a sick child should be abandoned or if they wanted a divorce from a husband (a power men and women in the Cherokee tribe shared) was unheard of in many cultures across the world. Today, seeing the power women in the tribe had back in the 18th, 19th, and even early 20th Century it becomes obvious to me why white men tried to lessen the role of the Cherokee Woman as soon as they possibly could; if white men removed Cherokee women from tribal roles, their own wives would not get ideas of amassing some degree of power. Also by removing women (the backbone of tribal life) from dealings with the white men it becomes simpler I feel to take advantage of the Cherokee due to the men not knowing how to trade like the woman could. Simply put these woman, who weren’t afraid to take charge, ran the show in Cherokee tribes.