Today is a day to reflect on all that women have contributed to our world history. In this particular day and age, it is also important to remember indigenous women across the world. I focus on First Nations’ women because that is where my passion lies as an unabashed Alaska Native woman.
These women are often overlooked in how we write our histories. These women are often forgotten from broader histories of countries. These women deserve better.
First Nations’ women are not included because they do not conform to white (usually straight, male) historians’ conceptions of femininity when these historians deign to include First Nations’ peoples contributions to history. I will not do your research for you by including citations. I expect you to do the same work I did in all of my historical research. Go to the library, explore the stacks, cross reference with firsthand accounts, surf the internet and get acquainted with indigenous peoples’ online archives. Learn these peoples’ tribes’ names.
I will not duplicate my work because how else will you learn? This is a traditional approach to teaching.
First Nations’ women were, are and will continue to be the most fierce and feared warriors. When undocumented, white immigrants flooded the eastern shores of this continent, they were met by women and men. The European immigrants called these peoples ‘savages’ because these peoples had such things as universal franchise (everyone of voting age had the right to vote), promoted people based on merit, took care of those who could not work, found work for everyone who could, fed their hungry, clothed their naked, housed their homeless. Savages!
European men were shocked when they encountered women warriors who fought with the same, if not more skill and ferocity as their male counterparts. European men often broke ranks and fled when these warrior women gave their war cries. And for good reason. Have you ever heard women give war cries? It is a deeply humbling experience because of the power, the fearlessness, the call-to-arms it instills.
As Europeans pushed more aggressively westward, they pushed the First Nations’ peoples westward, too. Most First Nations’ peoples fought when they had to, but they had other interests. You know, like feeding their people, taking care of their injured, ill and disabled, preserving their oral histories. Keep in mind that these First Nations’ peoples had seasonal obligations for hunting, food gathering, making clothing, etc. They didn’t just run to the grocery store or take the kids to get new clothes. They made their own tools and clothing and shelter, hunted and gathered their foods in balance with Nature.
First Nations’ peoples who stayed along the eastern boundaries of European expansion faced chattel slavery by European slavers. They escaped in large numbers, were ‘sold’ back to Europeans, escaped, were ‘sold’ back … it took a few generations of this pattern before the European slavers caught on and started importing slaves from Africa.
The First Nations’ peoples in this area saw this shift and began freeing the imported African slaves, accepting them into their own bands and tribes or finding safe pockets for freed African slaves to form their own communities. One such community of freed African slaves is the Gullah.
Remember when I mentioned westward expansion? As European undocumented colonialists moved further west, they realized that the First Nations’ peoples further west did not have the generations’ long ties to or experience with freed African slaves. So, these colonialists began using those of African descent as a weapon against the First Nations’ peoples. This is the beginning of using racism to split traditional allies and the shameful rise of racism in the First Nations’ peoples against those of African descent. Something that the BIPOC coalitions are trying to heal and rebuild this traditional alliance.
You will notice that the most vocal advocates within the BIPOC communities are women. The very women European colonialists tried, and failed, to suppress. This is an important lesson.
There are a lot of books written about Tecumseh and Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph and Chief Si’ahl. But, what about all the women who served as advisors and warriors and wives, sisters, daughters?
Buffalo Calf Road Woman, a chief and war leader in her own right, was the Cheyenne warrior who killed George A. Custer. The last thing that man saw was a bunch of outraged Cheyenne women warriors as he died. No wonder he’s the only military loser to get a statue and national monument.
Lozen, warrior, shaman and trusted advisor to both Victorio and Geronimo of the Chihenne Chiricahua Apache, stood against the US Army for decades. She had the ability to know where her enemies’ encampments were located. She advised, assisted with battle plans for both Victorio and Geronimo and fought beside them.
Lozen led the Sierra Madre band, led by Nana, to sanctuary. She led peace talks with the Americans … not surprising, the male-led Americans walked away from treaty talks, rounded up the remaining Chiricahua and shipped them to Florida for imprisonment.
Here are just a small number of names and stories of amazing women warriors of the First Nations’ peoples. I didn’t even get to the West Coast, Alaskan or Hawai’ian peoples. Consider how much history is being withheld from you. Consider how much more Krasnov and his collaborators are trying to take from you.
This is why I resist. This is why I will always stand up to those who try to deny my humanity.
Do not obey this insurrectionist coup leader.
DOGE is not a real thing.
Illegitimi non carborundum.