Life Stages and Native Women: Memory, Teachings, and Story Medicine

by Kim Anderson

A rare and inspiring guide to the health and well-being of Aboriginal women and their communities.

The process of “digging up medicines”—of rediscovering the stories of the past—serves as a powerful healing force in the decolonization and recovery of Aboriginal communities. In Life Stages and Native Women, Kim Anderson shares the teachings of fourteen elders from the Canadian prairies and Ontario to illustrate how different life stages were experienced by Metis, Cree, and Anishinaabe girls and women during the mid-twentieth century. These elders relate stories about their own lives, the experiences of girls and women of their childhood communities, and customs related to pregnancy, birth, post-natal care, infant and child care, puberty rites, gender and age-specific work roles, the distinct roles of post-menopausal women, and women’s roles in managing death. Through these teachings, we learn how evolving responsibilities from infancy to adulthood shaped women’s identities and place within Indigenous society, and were integral to the health and well-being of their communities. By understanding how healthy communities were created in the past, Anderson explains how this traditional knowledge can be applied toward rebuilding healthy Indigenous communities today.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, Medicine, History, Feminism, Canada

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Chelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every social worker

[Amy Vargus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the idea of reciprocal relationships and community. Women once held sacred power. It’s time to get it back. This book explains what women did and the responsibilities of the community towards them at each stage. Interesting!

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional!

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like an academic essay but full of interesting information and really helped me view indigenous culture in a new light, especially when it comes to family relations and community.

[Kira Brunner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice. Wish it was more region-specific, for my own curiosity -- but wonderfully done and I appreciate Anderson worked within the constraints of her dissertation and the Elders available to her. Also, variety gives breadth.

[Precious · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! This book is a delightful contribution to the decolonization of First Nations women and health. The book is a well-organized academic discussion on how the life stages were experienced by 12 Anishinaabe, Cree, and Metis women in the mid twentieth century. Anderson’s work with elders and use of oral history is critical to the preservation of indigenous methodologies. The book itself is about the essential roles First Nations women played in holding their communities together.

Life Stages and Native Women is a welcome contribution to the empowerment of First Nations women. By understanding how First Nations people ran healthy communities in the past Anderson gives insight to how this traditional knowledge applies towards building healthy communities today.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rather than focus on the violence of colonization and what has been lost, this book gathers oral and written histories to share a picture of “traditional” indigenous life stages in cree, Métis, and Ojibway communities in the 1900s. Both topics are important to learn and witness, and this book makes an important contribution toward the effort of preserving and maintaining indigenous histories. I also sensed the will to look at the positive aspects, such as the ability to heal, rather than the negative, and I think this is important to support.
The final chapter keeps returning to the idea of the circle as a way to empower community members. Kim Anderson collects valuable information about the life stages of indigenous women and everyone can benefit from reading this.

[Scout Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An great opportunity to experience new insights to long standing traditional practices of native women. Full of stories that share wisdom. I hope many discover this well researched book, it is important. Men as well as women will benefit.