Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Introduction
In this paper I will focus on gender roles, and how western invasion and colonization
impacted those roles among the American and Australian continent’s aboriginal
populations. To keep this report concise I will only offer a perfunctory overview of
related topics, such as the Native American Two-Spirits, and the complex kinship systems
of the Aboriginal Australians. Although these two topics are extremely relevant in the
Recognizing the limitations of such a report, there are a few important points to make
before diving into the subject at hand. First, most of the literature concerning Native
American and Aboriginal Australian gender roles has been written by people of European
descent, and not by the indigenous populations themselves. Second, by the time
anthropologists and historians began documenting the behaviors of the indigenous people
they met, it was typical that western influence could already be felt (Beatrice, 1985;
Bonvillain, 1989; Broom, 1994; Muir, 2000; Murray, 1994). With that in mind, it is safe
to assume that indigenous lifestyles viewed through the microscope of western eyes may
understanding of such a topic is to hear it from the mouths of the populations being
examined, and from their own unique understanding of the world in which they live.
However the lack of such documentation makes that task extremely difficult.
Lastly, is the inherent difficulty with trying to generalize gender roles among Native
American and Aboriginal Australian people. When talking of Native Americans, one
must encompass the plethora of diverse peoples in both North and South America. On
Indigenous Gender Roles 3
the single continent of Australia, when Europeans arrived on its shores, there were more
than 500 distinct Aboriginal tribes (Broome, 1994). Although within the many
indigenous peoples of the Americas and Australia there exist veins of commonality, such
as with creation myths and gender roles, there also are cultural differences that
discourage overgeneralization.
With those glaring limitations noted, what this report will try and establish is a
generalized overview of Native American and Aboriginal Australian gender roles prior to
the influence of Western society. Following that exploration will be a brief review of
literature documenting western society’s impact on the gender roles of the American and
This paper will conclude with my own reactions and insights gained from exploring this
fascinating topic.
Throughout North and South America, many of the native population’s creation myths
appear to have led to the establishment of egalitarian gender roles within their societies.
god, most indigenous American cultures emphasized the importance of both male and
female deities. Under the moral authority of western religion, women were considered
inferior, whereas with most Native American cultures women were viewed as equals to
In Eskimo culture the most powerful deity was called Sedna. She was responsible for
ensuring the survival of the Eskimo people through the yearly creation of the sea-life on
Indigenous Gender Roles 4
which they depended. Navajo people stressed the importance of women’s fertility, and of
the spiritual bond between mother and child. Many Navajo mythical stories involve
mother figures, such as the “Changing Woman,” who came when early humans lost their
ability to reproduce. She mated with the Sun, producing twins, who eventually gave birth
to all Navajo clans. Among the Iroquois, symbolism of female fertility and power was
also expressed through their creation myths. According to Iroquois legend the female
figure, “Aataensic,” was responsible for creating all life and is honored for being the
Although some Native American religions talk of great female deities responsible for
giving and sustaining life, many stress that the great spiritual beings were neither male
nor female, but a combination of both (Powers, 2000; Williams, 1983). Such is the belief
system of Native American peoples who revered the Two-Spirits. Within the Two-Spirits,
the creators are said to have instilled the spirit of both man and woman, creating a third
gender, who act as intermediaries between the polarities of male and female. The Two-
Spirits were said to have been created for the purpose of improving society through their
creative ingenuity, their spiritual power, and their ability to act as go-betweens for
Within the South American continent, many of the pan-Andean peoples’ supernatural
beings were conceptualized as possessing both masculine and feminine traits, and
sometimes having both male and female bodily forms. The main Inca god “Virococha” is
an example of such a being. Virococha produced two lines of deities, one male and one
female, who in turn created all human men and women. This “founding couple” spiritual
paradigm provided the basis for the belief in gender parallelism, which lies at the root of
Indigenous Gender Roles 5
most pan-Andean religions (Picchi, 2003; Powers, 2000). In contrast, western societies
emphasized a “founding father,” which inevitably led to the suppression and subjugation
Gender roles within most Native American societies, on both continents, were
primarily based on the specialization of labor. However, the spirit of a person was more
significant than their physical sex. This attitude was reflected in the way transgender
men and women of many indigenous North American societies could permanently
assume the role of the opposite sex (Williams, 1983). Although men and women were
assigned gender-specific tasks, those tasks were seen as equal in contribution to their
groups. The allocation of tasks specific to one’s gender created a system of reciprocity
that fostered the interdependence of the sexes. Since both the men and women’s work
were equally valued, neither sex was seen as superior (Blackwood, 1984; Bonvillain,
1989; Picchi, 2003). In addition each sex highly valued the other since the group’s health
and survival could not be maintained without one or the other (Powers, 2000).
In general men were assigned the tasks of hunting, fishing, weapon and tool making,
while women spent their time making clothes, preparing food, and foraging for plants,
fruits, nuts and small animals that provided their group’s main source of sustenance.
Women were also responsible for taking care of the children. However such roles were
fluid, in that men would help with the tasks of childrearing and domestic chores, while
women would at times participate in the hunt (Blackwood, 1984; Bonvillain, 1989;
Powers, 2000; Williams, 1986). Also notable, although uncommon, are the
Throughout Native American societies, from the tip of Alaska to the mountains of
Peru, women and men both played important roles in politics and religion. Although in
many Native American societies men held the top-most positions in politics and religion,
there existed cultures where women were on top of the spiritual and social hierarchies. In
fact, as Inca society broadened its borders throughout South America, they came upon
cultures that were completely female dominated (Poweres, 2000). In North America,
both Navajo and Iroquois ideologies emphasized women’s fertility and the power of the
mother/child bond. This way of thinking greatly influenced their daily lives, as well as
The Navajo clan mother was at the center of all in matters of spirit and politics
(Kluckhohn & Leighton, 1962). Matrilineal clans allocated the lands on which the Navajo
farmed. In addition, each clan’s epicenter was a matri-local residence where husbands of
the clan mother’s daughters would relocate to after their wedding ceremonies. Political
and social decisions were equally worked through by men and women together, although
typically the clan mother’s input weighed heaviest (Downs, 1972; Bonvillain, 1989).
The Iroquois were much like the Navajo with regards to land allocation and post-
marriage matri-local residences. Iroquois women had an even greater role in their
people’s welfare, in that they controlled and were in charge of distributing the goods of
both men and women. Although men were the clan’s primary traders and warriors, they
relied on the women to supply them with the food they needed while away. In the
political realm, although male chiefs were responsible for representing the voices of both
their clan’s men and women, it was the clan mothers’ who chose which men would take
In South America, staying true to the Inca doctrine of parallelism, property, wealth,
ritual status, and other resources were passed down from mother to daughter and from
father to son. In this way women were assured access to the means for their survival,
independent of men. Both religiously and politically men and women had access to
status and power, although women were not usually permitted to be at the upper most
echelons of authority. However, like with the Iroquois and Navajo, often the men who
gained access to supreme authority did so with the help of prominent women (Powers,
2000).
Around the 16th century, the egalitarianism of most Native American peoples would
come under attack with the arrival of foreigners upon their shores. The European
emphasis on Christianity and male dominance would permanently alter the lives of most
indigenous Americans. When the Spanish explorers arrived in South America they
quickly began to push their agenda of male supremacy and sexual oppression, which had
a disastrous effect on the status of South American women (Picchi, 2003; Powers, 2000;
Tannahil, 1982).
Under the Spanish colonial regime, women would become stripped of their autonomy,
and the gender-parallelism that governed the Inca society would be left in ruins. The
Spanish, being a patriarchal war-like society, was built upon a foundation of Christian
evangelicalism. The Spanish soldiers and missionaries would not tolerate women
lose their status on all levels. Their matrilineal access to resources was obliterated, being
used whatever means were at their disposal, over time the Inca men would come to
Indigenous Gender Roles 8
On the continent of North America, the constant stream of incoming colonizers would
also significantly alter the gender roles of the indigenous populations. Christian
missionaries, like those in South America, preached of strict gender roles and the
subjugation of women. Within this atmosphere of sexual suppression there was no place
for the Two-Spirits, who through western eyes were nothing more than sinful sodomites
squelched.
Just as with the invasion of South America, the patriarchal ideologies of North
American colonizers persistently eroded the status of Native American women. Male
dominance was preached and even forced upon the indigenous peoples through
resulted in Native American rejection of cross-gender roles (i.e. a third gender), and the
replaced by a market in which the demand for male-labor dominated. So not only was
the spiritual role of women depreciated through the emphasis of a supreme male God, but
women’s means of contributing equally to their people’s livelihood was also stripped
At this time I find it necessary to communicate the fact that not all Native American
peoples were as egalitarian as the Iroquois or the Navajo. As with anything, there were
exceptions. For instance, many tribes in the North American plains, as well as the Aztecs
Indigenous Gender Roles 9
bravado created an atmosphere of male dominion and female submission. For those
indigenous Americans, more negative consequences would be felt in other areas of their
lives than with gender roles. In fact, their gender roles would change little, marked
mostly by the loss of male status and their ability to provide (Bonvillain, 1989; Medicine,
One would hope that over time, with the advent of information-spreading technology
like the internet, the negative effects that western society had on Native American gender
American gender roles, on both continents, suggest that very little of the deleterious
effects caused by western ideologies have been reversed. In fact, the volume of literature
pointing at the need for further research on indigenous American gender roles, the need
for greater advocacy for Native American women’s rights, and the push for Native
(American Indian Resource Center, 1992; Goodman, 1993; Herring, 1999; Medicine,
Much like the creation myths of many Native American societies, the Aboriginal
Australian myths incorporate the important role of the female gender. According to
man, women, , as well as human and animal, broke from the confines of the cold and
barren Earth, and breathed life unto the land, waters, and sky (Broome, 1994). From
Indigenous Gender Roles 10
those early superhuman beings, the great male and female ancestors of all Aboriginal
Australian people were created. Those early ancestors not only were responsible for the
creation of all Aboriginal peoples, but also passed down gender specific knowledge of
Many of the mythical female ancestors were dignified, powerful, and awe-inspiring.
According to Aboriginal legend, these first female creators at one time possessed all the
sacred rites and emblems, which would eventually be divided among both men and
women (Strehlow, 1947). These early female ancestors first circumcised the male
ancestors, and taught them how to properly circumcise their youth, a ritual which would
become the traditional role of the male gender (Broom, 1994; Dussart, 1992). Although
females of Aboriginal creation myths held as much, and at times even more, power as
their male counterparts, Aboriginal society would end up being more male dominated.
Much like the indigenous peoples of the Americas’, the Aborigines’ gender specific
specialization of labor revolved around the hunting and/or fishing of men, and the
foraging, food preparation, and domestic responsibilities of women. Also like Native
Americans, Aboriginal men and women participated equally in the production of trade-
items and utilitarian instruments. Similarly, both men and women’s roles in the survival
of the kinship groups within their territory was seen as equal and reciprocal (Broome,
1994). However, in Aboriginal societies there were clear-cut divisions between men’s
and women’s roles (Maher, 1999). For women this included all aspects of reproduction,
ceremonial business. The strict domain of Aboriginal men included conflicts, the land,
Indigenous Gender Roles 11
male anatomy, and male religious ceremonies. With their respected role as keepers and
protectors of the land, men came to dominate Aboriginal politics and religious affairs.
Each Aboriginal man and woman was intimately tied to their land and the life upon it.
Early Aborigines believed that each person was part of an animal totem. When a woman
realized that she was pregnant, it was understood that the spirit of an animal close by had
impregnated her. Upon reaching adulthood, men primarily would have to perform
ceremonies yearly at the site of their sacred totem, to keep the balance of life in order,
and to promote the health of his totem animal and his people (Broome, 1994; Jolly,
2004).
The gender roles of Aborigines would be taught through a process of initiation into
adulthood, which would begin around the ages of 10-12. Boys spent many years
acquiring the skills necessary to hunt and defend their future wives. This was also a time
of pain and tests of endurance. For many boys, part of the initiation process included
Female ceremonies were less elaborate and lengthy than for males. Adolescent girls
were taught how to live off the gatherable bounty of the land. They were taught the skills
of being good sexual partners and matters of reproduction. When they became mothers,
they were the ones responsible for instilling within their children a deep respect and love
for the land on which they lived, and their cohabiting life forms (Broome, 1994).
According to Aboriginal kinship law, everyone living within your group is considered
family. For example, all of your father’s brothers are also your fathers, and all of your
mother’s sisters are also your mothers. The rest of the clan becomes your aunts, uncles,
brothers, sisters, etc., regardless of any true blood relation. The kinship group behaved as
Indigenous Gender Roles 12
parts of a unified whole, where everything one did was for the benefit of the entire group.
Within these kinship groups, women and men perceived themselves as interdependent.
However, due to religious law, a man was tied to the land on which he was born. This
meant that when a woman married a man, she was obligated to live in his territory
Every kinship clan was ruled by its eldest male members. Many of the most important
aboriginal ceremonies were open only to men. And it was the men that possessed and
guarded their people’s sacred religious items. It was believed that the powerful spiritual
forces at play were too dangerous for women to get involved with. Although men
dominated politics and religious ceremonies, women held their own rituals mostly
revolving around fertility. The rituals of Aborigines involved song, dance and body
marriages were typically arranged by men. Some Aboriginal men had multiple wives,
however monogamy characterized most Aboriginal marriages. This was mostly due to
resource limitations, for a husband was required to reciprocate in many ways to his wife’s
family. Once married a man could lend his wife out to another man with the expectation
of reciprocation in some form. This could be done without the wife’s consent. Although
Berndt and Berndt (1982) wrote that this was not always a bad situation for the woman
involved, it does demonstrate how unequal traditional Aboriginal gender roles were.
Another example of inequality concerning Aboriginal gender roles is the fact that only
women had to obey food and speech taboos upon the death of a spouse. This was a rule
Indigenous Gender Roles 13
created by the men to ensure that a dead husband would be properly mourned (Dussart,
1992).
With the arrival of Captain Cook in the late 18th century, the lives of Aboriginal
the gross miscalculation of the continent’s indigenous population, the entire continent
would be labeled, “terra nullius,” which means an uninhabited place. This would lead to
the Aborigines’ land being taken away, attempts at genocide, and the near destruction of
traditional aboriginal culture. The survivors would become isolated on the social,
gender roles changed little for Aborigines (Broome, 1994; Macintyre, 1999).
what has significantly begun to change is the status and power of Aboriginal women in
identity, Dussart (1992) states that no longer do men have the ultimate say with regards to
who marries whom. Women are beginning to marry out of love, and not due to
traditional kinship law. Also, the tradition of imposing food and speech taboos on widows
is also becoming challenged by more Aboriginal women (Maher, 1999). In a more recent
article by Dussart (2004), it is shown that Aboriginal women are now at the forefront of
revitalizing traditional Aboriginal spiritual ceremonies and rites, thereby elevating their
Since the gender roles of Aboriginal women were traditionally inferior to those of
would lose out in light of changing times. According to Jones (1993), in present day
Australians, Aboriginal men earn less and have higher unemployment rates than
Aboriginal women. It is also noted that white Australians tends to treat Aboriginal
women better than Aboriginal men. The reason for this has not been fully explored, but I
suspect it has something to do with the way white Australians view traditional Aboriginal
gender roles. Although the European colonization of Australia proved disastrous to the
Aborigines and their way of life in general, it seems to be producing some positive
Conclusion
roles, I have noticed just how important creation stories are to the establishment of equity
among the world’s men and women. In the book Sex in History by Tannahil (1983), it
was proposed that male dominance over women began with the domestication of animals.
This may be true, but it also appears that many societies either missed the lesson or
decided to ignore it. I can’t imagine that the domestication of plants and animals came
after the ancient relatives of native North and South Americans began walking across the
land bridge between Asia and what is now Alaska. In my opinion, religion is the primary
root of gender inequality. Although Christianity served the first blows to the
egalitarianism of many Native American societies, those cultures with enough indigenous
Indigenous Gender Roles 15
pride to initially resist the doctrine of male-supremacy would eventually have their sense
of gender parallelism altered through the forces of economics (Bonvillain, 1989; Picchi,
2003).
What I also learned was contrary to my original supposition regarding the gender roles
of Native Americans. I thought that, at least in North America, gender equality was a
universal aspect of Native American life. I was surprised to find that many of the
indigenous Plains peoples were primarily male dominated. I was also surprised to find
that there existed societies in South America where women were the supreme rulers,
childhood fantasies.
Australia, the sad history of Aborigines as a result of European colonization. I had also
learned of their kinship systems and of their relations to the lands on which they lived.
What I had not learned were the details of their gender roles and initiation rites. The
similarities between Native American Plains people and Aboriginal Australians are
striking. In both societies the people traveled following the animals on which they
preyed, and were characterized by frequent tribal warfare. So it appears that even when
creation stories promote gender equity, the harsh realities of life tend to tip the scales
In the present, the entire globe is moving towards greater gender equality, recognizing
gender variance, and the acceptance of atypical sexual orientations. Although this
process is happening much too slow in my opinion, one can not deny that a movement is
under way. Could this simply be due to the weakening religious control within our
Indigenous Gender Roles 16
parallelism, then it is safe to say that the results of European colonization and the spread
of Christianity not only retarded our evolution, it actually knocked us back many
Within our planet’s indigenous populations, this move towards gender equality will be
for some the beginning of a completely new reality. This is evident in the rising status of
Aboriginal women within Aboriginal society. For others, such as the Iroquois, Navajo,
and many other native North and South Americans, it will be a move back towards the
more traditional. I believe that we are, as a planet, evolving towards the gender
parallelism and gender variance understandings that were once a part of many
There is a paradigm shift under way, with regards to the understanding of gender and
sexuality. When Mark Pope, an openly gay Native American with a heritage of two-
spirited people, can be voted in as president of the American Psychiatric Association, you
can tell we’re moving in the right direction (Pope, 2003). I have faith in the human race,
and as a future sexologist will do my best to help facilitate this much needed change in
gender relations, as scores of others in various academic fields are doing right now.
Indigenous Gender Roles 17
References
Berndt, C.H., & Berndt, R.M. (1982). The world of the first Australians. Sydney-
Blackwood, E. (1984). Sexuality and gender in certain Native American tribes: The
case of cross-gender females. Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 10, 27-42.
Carneiro, R. (2002). Warrior women of the Amazon. Paper presented at the Meetings
of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America (SALSA). June 2002,
Annapolis, MD.
Downs, J. (1972). The Navajo. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Dussart, F. (2004). Shown but not shared, presented but not proffered: Redefining
ritual identity among Warlpiri ritual performers, 1990-2000. The Australian Journal of
sexuality education curriculum for an American Indian group. Paper presented at the
Herring, R. (1999). Advocacy for Native American Indian and Alaska native clients
173-184.
Kluckhohn, C., & Leighton, D. (1962). The Navajo. New York: Doubleday and Co.
Lucashenko, M. (1998). Gender, genre and geography. Southerly; the Magazine of the
Press.
presented to the College and University Faculty Assembly Annual Meeting of the
Pope, M. (2003). A big step for mental health: An interview with Mark Pope.
Powers, K. V. (2000). Andeans and Spaniards in the contact zone. American Indian
Tannahill, R. (1982) Sex in history. Briarcliff Manor, New York: Stein and Day
Publishers.
Vinding, D. (1998). Indigenous women: The right to a voice. IWGIA Document no.
Williams, W. (1986). The spirit and the flesh: Sexual diversity in American Indian