The Iroquoian Wife Essay Example for Free

The Iroquoian Wife Essay Before the arrival of Europeans in the American continent, the natives had a culture that was alien to European arriving in the continent. â€Å"Native-American family life was both different from and transformed by contact with European culture. British observers (mostly male) regarded gender roles and marital customs among the Indians as an abdication of mens authority† [Redefining Family, 2007]. Over the years, suppression of the tribes, intermarriages, forcing European values on the Native Americans changed their culture. The role of women in Native society changed because of European subjugation and influences [Boyd, 1996]. The Iroquoian people native to Canada had a matrilineal system of tribe. In this system, the lineage of the family is traced to mother and not to father as in other societies. The ancient Iroquoian society could not be described as matriarchal as male members led the tribe but the women were considered guardian of the society [Aboriginal Women, 2007]. They selected the leaders (sachems) and ensured that sachems used their authority according to the tribal customs. Iroquoian women determined the norms of the society and ensured that the men followed the spiritual and social customs. As a wife, Iroquoian wife played a much more important role than the man. She did all the housework, produced food, looked after the children, made clothes and had an active role in social areas traditionally reserved for man in European society. She participated in ceremonies, gambled and took part in tribes’ professional activities [Aboriginal Women, 2007]. The European masters of the land soon dismantled this powerful role of Iroquoian wife in the tribal culture as they refused to recognized matrilineal system. Children of an Iroquoian woman marrying a white man were considered that of the man. Women under the new rules were judged as subservient to man and his property and over the years their role changed to one inferior to man [Aboriginal Women, 2007]. This shows the impact of outside influences on the changing role of women in the society and as a wife in a family.