Women’s equality: A Lakota perspective
Marcella Gilbert and her mother Madonna Thunder Hawk (both Cheyenne River Lakota).
SANTA ROSA CA – Women’s Equality Day, celebrated on August 26th, marks the anniversary of the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which declared: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
While women of color did not enjoy the benefits of the 19th. amendment until many years later, modern women of all racial and cultural backgrounds can acknowledge and celebrate the suffrage amendment as a giant step forward for all women and as a precursor to full enfranchisement.
“In traditional Lakota culture, men’s and women’s roles were equally valued,” according to Marcella Gilbert (Cheyenne River Lakota), a life-long activist and advocate for justice for Native Americans. “It was a matter of survival. Everyone’s participation was essential and everybody’s health and well-being was important. So, for example, there were no widespread instances of domestic violence (in Lakota society before the Europeans colonizers came). Any abusers were ostracized by the tribe. (Women’s) oppression came when the European Christians and the patriarchal U.S. government came.
“…Equality will always be an issue as long as racism and the patriarchy exist.”
Gilbert mentioned the campaign of Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s candidate for president as a “hopeful development” that has energized many young people as well as others. She called the Harris’ nomination and campaign “another step forward.” She said that perhaps Women’s Equality Day 2024 should be a day to celebrate Kamala Harris as the first woman of color to be nominated by a major political party to sit in the Oval Office.
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (Sicangu Lakota) combed through the winter counts and oral records of her ancestors to discover their past. Her book, Sioux Women: Traditionally Sacred, describes the struggles and joys of her grandmothers and other women who maintained tribal life as European colonizers pushed for dominance in the Americas.
Sneve quotes Luther Standing Bear (1868 – 1939), a Sicangu and Oglala Lakota author, educator, philosopher, and actor who worked to preserve Lakota culture and sovereignty. Standing Bear wrote in 1931, “All tasks of women – cooking, caring for children, tanning, and sewing were considered dignified and worthwhile. No work was looked upon as menial, consequently there were no menial workers…. Sioux women are the center of tribal life and the core of the tiospaye, the extended family. They maintain the values and traditions of Sioux culture.”
Vi Waln (Sicangu Lakota), a nationally published journalist, wrote in a 2017 article for the Lakota Times, “(The United States of) America has always been a male dominated society. Since 1492, males have exerted unsolicited and unwelcome influence over our people. They’ve planted many seeds of doubt within the minds of our people. Those seeds have germinated over the past 525 years.
“Many of our Lakota men have succumbed to the notion of male dominance. Some of them laugh when we remind them of the sacredness of women. Others disrespect women to the point of assaulting them physically, sexually, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. …
“However, there are still a great number of Lakota men who show respect for themselves and the women in their lives. These are the men who treat women as equal partners in relationships or marriages. They don’t view themselves as being above the woman….
“If you believe Lakota women were put on earth to be your servants or your punching bags, you might need to find a treatment program to cleanse your thought process. Or maybe some good hot sweats will help your mind….
“Lakota women must be treated as the sacred beings they are. We are the doorway for the coming generations. …”
According to the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA), Women’s Equality Day is a time to reflect on progress made, a time to recognize the work that still needs to be done, and a time to celebrate the vital contributions of women to society both historically and currently.
The NWHA offers a Women’s Equality Day Celebration Kit, which includes “everything you need for an educational, entertaining, and successful Women’s Equality Day program in one convenient kit. This kit makes it easy to present an informative one-hour program at your school, workplace, community group, or civic organization meeting.”
This comprehensive kit includes: posters, a banner, bookmarks, balloons, electronic logo, a PowerPoint presentation, and 20 copies of the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Magazine as well as 20 copies of the 2024 Women’s History Magazine. The kit is described as “a perfect way to celebrate and educate about the vital contributions of women in history.” Order the kit at national-womens-history-alliance.mybigcommerce.com/womens-equality-day-items/
The NWHA is also offering a free Women’s Equality Day Webinar on Monday, August 26th, 2024. This virtual event, offered at 7:00 pm EDT and again at 7:00 pm PDT, will celebrate the progress we’ve made in women’s rights and highlight the ongoing efforts needed to achieve full equality.
Those who participate in the webinar can expect reflections on the progress made in women’s rights plus an inspiring segment on the power of women’s history. This segment will highlight the importance of preserving and promoting women’s stories and makes a compelling case for why attendees should join the NWHA in this vital mission and ensure women’s contributions are recognized and celebrated.
The webinar will also unveil the 2025 Women’s History theme, which will be accompanied by informative hand-outs and an engaging discussion on how activists can collectively advance the goals of this theme.
To register for the FREE Women’s Equality Day webinar offered at 7:00PM EDT on Monday, August 26, go to tinyurl.com/2s3mfmb6. To register for the Women’s Equality Day webinar offered at 7:00PM PDT, go to tinyurl.com/3tzwrupk
The National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) has been a national leader in promoting multicultural women’s history and advancing gender equality. Founded in 1980, the NWHA has been recognized for its many nationally recognized programs and services by organizations throughout the country, including The National Association for Multicultural Education Award. The NWHA promotes a multicultural women’s history perspective by honoring women of diverse cultural, ethnic, occupational, racial, class, and regional backgrounds.
According to the NWHA website (nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org), “We are retelling history. And changing the future. We believe that knowing women’s history gives all of us—female and male—the power and inspiration to succeed. We believe that Our History Is Our Strength.”
(Contact Grace Terry at graceterrywiliams@gmail.com)
SOURCES:
www.lakotatimes.com/articles/lakota-people-have-always-been-matriarchal/
mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQVxtvjkhTdMTLndKPpPxjLbKlW
nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org
www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/right-to-vote/voting-rights-for-native-americans/
www.nyhistory.org/blogs/white-supremacy-and-the-suffrage-movement
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August 15, 2024