Author reflects on personal journey of reconciling identity as a Native woman in a colonized society.
Initially viewed herself as a liberated woman yet felt enslavement by societal expectations.
Experiences of confronting white colonial society led to the realization of a need for validation as a human.
Striving
The author describes her attempts to fit into settler society by adopting their language and values but ultimately feels that it has led to shame.
Feminism had no meaning until 1982; racist ideologies rendered Native womanhood as nonexistent.
Acknowledges past denial of her own womanhood and expresses remorse for not representing Native women adequately in public.
Connection to Ancestors
The author's grandmother's wisdom echoes the necessity to reconnect with identity and womanhood.
Recognition of the historical status of Native women as 'wards of the government' prior to 1961, emphasizing a shift to self-identification.
The Complexity of Womanhood
Native women often viewed through a lens that denies them sexual agency and reduces them to stereotypes or objects.
Challenges the ascription of negative traits to Native women, pointing out how patriarchal views neglect their experiences and emotions.
Critiques both white and Native patriarchal structures that erase the unique struggles of Native women.
Embrace of Womanhood
The author declares an awakening to her identity as a powerful, sensuous woman, rejecting stereotypes.
A strong desire to connect with other women of color on mutual experiences of affection and intellectual brilliance.
Calls for Native women to embrace leadership roles and reinforce their societal positions.
Struggles Against Erasure
Discusses how Native women are often invisible in discussions about race and gender, overshadowed by the narratives of men.
Critiques the tendency to defer to male figures in leadership and the prevalence of patriarchy that undermines women’s contributions.
Calls for a move away from viewing womanhood through patriarchal lenses to embrace their full agency.
Isn't Love a Given?
The author is critical of societal views on love and choice, particularly about women's rights to love whom they desire, including same-sex love.
Highlights the historical context of colonization as detrimental to Native women's sexual and emotional autonomy.
Condemns the normalization of violence against women and the lack of recognition of women’s experiences in love and relationships.
Separated Identity and Love
Explores the complex relationship between love, sex, and identity, stressing that they are not the same.
Challenges societal and cultural norms that hinder the exploration of sexual autonomy among women.
Discusses how gender dynamics dictate perceptions of sexual relationships and undermine women’s rights in their own sexual experiences.
Conclusion: The Right to Choice
Addresses the concept of choice in relationships and the pressure from societal norms that impact partner selection.
Argues that true feminism must dismantle views of women as merely vessels for men’s gratification.
Ends with a call for a radical reevaluation of love, emphasizing that love and sexuality must be self-defined and not dictated by societal pressures or patriarchal structures.