A study of the political expressions of First Nations women.

In this thesis I examined political expressions of First Nations women. Using cultural studies concepts and aspects of Aboriginal theory, I reviewed literature in order to develop some cultural and historical understanding of First Nations cultures in Canada prior to conducting interviews with Aboriginal women. My objective was to answer three questions: how do Aboriginal women express their political interests; how do they define their roles in the politics of their communities; and finally, what do they consider political? First Nations women are virtually absent from mainstream politics in Canada. The women interviewed understood the politics of federal and Band governments. These political forums, however, were outside the range of the politically relevant. Despite their apparent absence on the political landscape the women interviewed illustrated a strong commitment towards the politics of healing. Healing within First Nations cultures refers to individual, family, and community recovery from the consequences of systemic racism by European colonialism (RRCAP, 1996, v.3, 53). The women varied in their approaches to healing, but all of them articulated a commitment towards building balanced and harmonious communities defined by the values and beliefs of First Nations cultures. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1998 .C36. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 39-02, page: 0312. Adviser: Kai Hildebrandt. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1998