From early European settlement to contemporary political and legal battles, North America's Indigenous Nations have suffered hundreds of years of brutality, prejudice, and inequality. Ojibwa women, specifically, endured year of psychological trauma.
The following pages will examine specific changes that have impacted Ojibwa women historically and contemporarily. Beginning with how colonization brought about sexual violence, the systemic and institutionalization against these women will show how oppression began with patriarchal dominance. Then, a tradition as old as time, porcupine quill box making will be discussed of its relevance in the fur trade and the shift of the economy that projected women into the workforce. Life as an Ojibwa woman has changed over time, including sex roles, often in correspondence to the perpetuation of ideas of the women in relation to the other aspects discussed in this exhibit. Following this discussion will be a showcase of how Ojibwa women and allies have begun to reverse history through advocacy, memorials, protests, and resiliency.
Credits
Alivia Foster