Date of Defense

4-16-1999

Department

History

First Advisor

Dr. Jose Brandao

Second Advisor

Dr. Linda Borish

Third Advisor

Dr. Suhashni Datta-Sandhu

Abstract

Between the late 1950's and the mid 1980's, there appeared a wealth of new literature on Iroquois women. This was due, in part, to the large amount of anthropological and sociological information available about Iroquois women. However, the primary reason for this outpouring of research lay in the development of gender studies in the academic world. Bearing such titles as "Iroquois Women: Then and Now" and "The Iroquois Confederacy: A Native American Model for Non-Sexist Men," the literature ran the gamut from historiography to feminist declaration. A central feature of each of these works was an analysis of the power Iroquois women held in their tribes. While thought provoking questions were raised and interesting conclusions reached, these authors overlooked the real evidence of power. Because female scholars wanted to demonstrate the worth of gender as a category of analysis and the power of women, they attributed an Iroquois woman's power to her implicit "femaleness," her shared role with men, or her economic contributions to the tribe.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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