The Fight for Womens Rights, Laws, Social movements and Policies - Essay Example

Introduction For long periods of time, the North American indigenous people lived and thrived in their tribal communities.They respected the land surrounding them, animals, plant life and their languages and tradition. Children were adequately educated in their homes by their older family members. Grandparents and parents were responsible for teaching the young ones through daily activities like ceremonies and storytelling. American Indians developed various skills that helped them to thrive in leisure time and work. They were agriculturalists, house engineers and even discovered medicines for many ailments. As the Europeans continued in their conquests, it led them to North Americans parts to claim wealth and land. The Spaniards, French and the English invaded North America and started to enslave American Indians. They had a concept known as the manifest destiny, and this led the early settlers to believe that it was their right to claim land across the world. Many American Indians were killed as a result with the remaining confined to reservations. In Canada and the United States, the governments passed federal policies that negatively affected the American Indians. After many decades, some social movements stepped up to claim the indigenous person’s lost rights (Ajic.mb.ca). Women’s Rights Women in Traditional Setting Women played a vital role in the Aboriginal family, in spiritual ceremonies and the native government. Women and men had high personal autonomy levels, and their functions were essential to the survival of the communities. Men provided food, clothing and shelter while women controlled the domestic sphere; they were viewed as givers and caretakers of life. The women were responsible for child socialization. Due to the high levels of respect and honor between wives and husbands, there were fewer family breakdowns. Within the Anishinabe communities, women were given a great honor due to their visions and wisdom. The men within this setting perceived women as having sacred gifts from the creator (Ajic.mb.ca). Women were centrally featured in the Anishinabe creation legends. In the Anishinabe legends, the woman came to the earth through a hole in the sky; she came to care for the earth. It was the woman, referred to as Nakomis (grandmother) who instructed the original man (Anishinabe) about earthly medicines and technology. To them, the earth is a woman, and this is why sweet grass (her hair) is braided on ceremonies. The aboriginal communities show strength because of their traditional teachings and cultures that were orally passed down. Much emphasis was placed on man and woman equality, a thing that was vital to life continuation. These teachings were crucial to the future of such communities (Ajic.mb.ca). Attack on Culture Within the Anishinabe people, women were not inferior within the family setting until the European arrived. In the European context, women had fewer rights while men were thought to be their political, social and legal matters. Any rights that the women had were obtained from the husband. England laws stated that the women had no right own property, vote and entered into contracts. These English norms were clearly reflected in the Indian Act that discriminated against the women. The economic and cultural expansion of the Europeans was destructive to the Anishinabe women. Their original family value of equal partners was completely undermined. Victimization of the Anishinabe women continued with the introduction of residential learning institutions for the aboriginals. During their time at school, the Anishinabe cultural values were broken down, and this led to the family breakdown. The Indian Act meant that all Aboriginal people would lose their status, for instance, if an Indian woman married a non-Indian. Bill C-31 of 1995 continued the trend of demeaning Indian women and ensured constant segregation (Ajic.mb.ca). The Fight for Women’s Rights In the contemporary Canadian society women and children were the main victims and suffered tremendously. They were the victims of sexism, racism, and domestic violence. The Canadian Justice system has done little to protect the women and children from such assaults. Aboriginal women have less representation within the prison setting than their male counterparts. The Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission believes that alterations should be made in the justice system as per the presented proposals. Until recently in Canada, Aboriginal women were forced to jump many hurdles in this century to be able to vote and become recognized as legal people. It is only in the past few decades that these women have acquired the right to own property and contract after the intervention by social movements (Ajic.mb.ca). Social movements that have worked hard to ensure that women from Aboriginal groups such as the Anishinabe equally enjoy their rights have been extremely vocal. The indigenous justice implementation commission has called for the amendment of the Indian Act to ensure that the property is equally divided upon marriage dissolution. They have also suggested the establishment of a local government portfolio for children and women for abuse reporting and develop education and support development programs. Police forces should create family abuse teams that deal directly with the Aboriginal people such as the Anishinabe, by doing so; they will directly solve their unique problems. Other groups that are fighting for equal representation of women are; The Hollow Water Resource Group and Alkali Lake B.C (Ajic.mb.ca). Fight for Laws and Policies The great council treaty number three contained some pre-existing jurisdiction that has continued to be exercised by the Canadian government despite illegal and oppressive tactics by conservation officers. Treaty number three has been in existence for 140 years since it was signed. It established some shared sovereignty over the British and the Anishinabe. In the year 2012, the month of June, Bill C-38 was passed to overrule the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. As noted by lawmakers, the amendments would weaken Canada’s capacity to run governance on the environment; this will threaten the water, land and climate. The government introduced Bill C-45 that was heavily opposed by the first nations and environmental groups. Bill C-45directly impacted on the first nations and created an avenue for the introduction of a bunch of laws that violate first nation communities and treaty territories (Purdy, Bellegarde and Holman). Bill C-45 created an avenue whereby Grand Chiefs would be prevented from holding any debates. The Grand Chiefs have been entrusted by the Anishinabe people who stand to lose a lot in Minnesota. Through the Grand Council, the Anishinabe Nation in the Treaty Number three maintain the rights to all water and lands. Any developments made in treaty number three that touch on mining, hydro, forestry, pipeline systems and highways require an agreement, consent and participation of the Anishinabe Nation (Gct3.net). Developers and corporations have gone against the treaty to carry out business activities that may lead to the destruction of the environment. They also interfere with traditional activities of the Anishinabe people. The Grand Council has been busy to ensure that the Anishinabe treaties and rights are not negatively impacted by business activities. One way in which they have been successful is by holding discussions and negotiations with businesses and individuals planning to operate within their territory (Desjarlait). Organizations that are fighting for the rights of the Anishinabe people have a long way to go to ensure equalities. For instance, the mining of taconite in Minnesota has affected the Anishinabe people, other natives and non-natives in the region. Forests have been deforested for the creation of mining pits. One in ten newborns contains mercury in their systems, and this leads to lung cancer. The organizations in Minnesota have been passing laws that have downplayed environmental protections. In Minnesota, Rice and Surface Water Quality Standard of 1970 are protecting the environment. Organizations such as the CPT Aboriginal Justice Delegation Team will have to be vocal to protect the rights of the indigenous people (Desjarlait). Conclusion The North American Indigenous people have suffered for long periods due to oppression by the white people who came from Europe. They invited laws and policies that oppressed the indigenous people who were the rightful owners of the land. Immediately after the French and English landed, they noted how the indigenous people lived and how the male population treated the women with respect and honor. They introduced laws that had negative impacts on women and children and took the land of the aboriginal people. Many groups have come up to fight for the rights of the aboriginals and ensure that they get the chance to enjoy their rights fully. It is a shame how the United States and the Canadian governments have not provided laws to ensure that the aboriginals have obtained full equality. We should take the model of the Anishinabe people who treated everyone equal including the women who were respected. By doing so, we will change the perception of everyone and treat each other equal. Works Cited Ajic.mb.ca,. ABORIGINAL WOMEN. N.p., 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. Desjarlait, Robert. Idle No More And The Implications On Anishinaabe Treaty Lands In Minnesota.Intercontinental Cry. N.p., 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. Gct3.net,. Laws And Policies | Grand Council Of Treaty #3. N.p., 2015. Web. 1 Apr. 2015. Purdy, Sheila, Daniel J Bellegarde, and Alan Holman. Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation. Print. Read More