The Ten Grandmothers
Project Summary
The role of native women in their societies has not been well documented. Most of the early information about native people was generated by male priests, travelers, painters, semi-professionals and professionals who saw things in a historically gender-biased viewpoint which was therefore primarily about the native male in native societies, social structures, and ceremonies. This project offers us a glimpse of the importance of native women in their culture and begins to dispel some of the stereotypical myths about native women by laying out the truth of the native way of life. The Ten Grandmothers featured in this project have shared their knowledge and experiences about family responsibility and the roles of women in traditional Aboriginal society.
Project Goals
- To share the Ten Grandmother's traditional knowledge of family roles and children's upbringing with all community members, through public forums, meetings and craft workshops.
- To develop a Web site and publish a non-academic book with pictures and words of wisdom from the traditional women to help rebuild self-esteem and confidence in Aboriginal women and their families and assist them to understand and balance traditional and contemporary lifestyles.
