Battle of the sexes not an Indian fight

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Pikiskwe

A few issues ago, a column appeared in the Windspeaker that was characterized

as anti-female. It caused quite a stir. CBC radio picked up the piece and ran a story. The suggestion was this columnist was typical of the Indian male's perspective about Indian females.

It may be suggested by the fervor with which this story and others were made public, including the publication of Chief Ovide Mercredi's and Elijah Harper's problems regarding child maintenance payments, that it's typical of mainstream press to run those stories confirming the mainstream belief that our culture is anti-female.

It also perpetuates the myth that we, as Indian women, are powerless dredges, mere chattels that are to be rescued by the ever omniscient, benevolent outside press.

I do believe that our culture is not any more or less anti-female than the mainstream culture.

I do not believe that the abuse in Native communities is gender-related; the abuse is widespread enough that it falls on both males and females.

Indian people have lived under incredibly oppressive laws that have resulted in social problems. For many first nations, our generation will be the first generation of parents that have the opportunity to raise their own children.

I find it unjust that Canadian courts expect our people to meet the same standards established by those who have never been denied the opportunity to parent.

There are problems within Native communities but many of these problems could be dealt with by changing our structures in Indian government.

Indian women are not the only ones who are disenfranchised. One suggestion would be to have provincial and national Indian associations become truly representative of status Indians and allow everyone with a treaty or status number to vote in their elections.

I have ambivalent feelings about gender issues applying to aboriginal communities. My initial response is as a people we should not allow ourselves to be pulled into mainstream society's battle of the sexes.

Our energies should be directed towards the more genocidal issues that affect Indian people.