ABSTRACT

Negotiators of Change covers the history of ten tribal groups including the Cherokee, Iroquois and Navajo -- as well as tribes with less known histories such as the Yakima, Ute, and Pima-Maricopa. The book contests the idea that European colonialization led to a loss of Native American women's power, and instead presents a more complex picture of the adaption to, and subversion of, the economic changes introduced by Europeans. The essays also discuss the changing meainings of motherhood, women's roles and differing gender ideologies within this context.

chapter |25 pages

Introduction

chapter 4|25 pages

Women, Men and American Indian Policy

The Cherokee Response to “Civilization”

chapter 6|22 pages

The Land Incarnate

Navajo Women and the Dialogue of Colonialism, 1821–1870

chapter 7|19 pages

“Dear Friend and Ex-Husband”

Marriage, Divorce, and Women's Property Rights on the Southern Ute Reservation, 1887–1930

chapter 8|17 pages

Horses and Cattle, Buggies and Hacks

Purchases by Yakima Indian Women, 1909–1912

chapter 9|20 pages

Patchwork and Politics

The Evolving Roles of Florida Seminole Women in the 20th Century

chapter 10|22 pages

Mothers and Community Builders

Salt River Pima and Maricopa Women in Community Action