In Our Voices

Q1.

The events of the Native American tribe’s religion are subject to the presence of the Christian faith that took its roots on the native lands due to the European settlement (Donaldson). One of the reasons behind the spread of Christianity was the discovery made by Christopher Columbus around the year 1492, which encouraged white supremacy to take over the native lands (Donaldson). The white settlers used their religion as a way to survive in the New World; however, the opposition between the immigrants and the natives was extreme as both had different opinions regarding the topic of religion. The settler’s urge to convert the Natives and the desire to take hold of the land made the Natives turn against the Europeans (Donaldson).

The white colonists not only stripped the Natives of their property but had their culture and values wiped out as well. History indicates that Native American women felt a profound impact on the religious traditions of white supremacy (Donaldson). History shows that Native American women enjoyed a period of power as some tribes followed the rule of the matriarchal system. Therefore, the colonists’ invasion took away the native women’s rights along with many other things (Keller and Ruether). Being accustomed to traditions that included worshipping female deities and the belief in the world of supernatural among different cultures, the Native American woman’s religious experiences after converting to Christianity were harsh and caused suffering (Keller and Ruether).

Q2.

The Christian women’s experience is different from that of the Native American women in the sense that the former was protected by the religion it followed, which defended the Christian woman’s dignity and also granted it equal status as the male part of the society. Christian women had the freedom to shape their lives according to their desires, and this freedom was not restricted to one aspect of their lives (Donaldson). The early Christian women devoted themselves to religious life and believed greatly in the concept of sisterhood, while the later Christian women believed in giving their time to their family and home. They also took part in different movements that revolved around women’s sufferings. In contrast, the Native American women used religious notions to defy the assumptions regarding white supremacy (Donaldson). The Native American women faced subjugation at the hands of the white race, as can be seen from their history when the white settlers took control of their land, language, and culture (Donaldson). Before the Europeans had infiltrated the lives of the natives, reports show that the Native American population had a rich culture that dominated their lives. In addition to this, the natives had a multitude of religious traditions and unique rituals followed by different native tribes. Some tribes placed their women at the top of the hierarchy, allowing them the position of kinship (Donaldson). The Native American women had the privilege of following female deities, unlike the Christian women. An example of the Native American woman’s religious beliefs is present in the text “Divine Narcissus” written by Sor Juana, in which the character of America (a native woman) took pride in worshipping different deities, such as those responsible for fertility (Flynn). However, the enslaved indigenous women had to convert to Christianity when the British Empire spread everywhere. The conversion to Christianity caused the Native American women to accept the belief that the one god they should follow was a male figure, which caused them great distress, as their status before colonization was higher than the male population.

Q3.

History stands witness to the kind of interactions that took place between the Native American and Christian women, especially after colonization. However, a significant aspect to be noted is that the communications varied depending on the location and on the settlers that moved to the parts of the native lands. The interactions also heavily depended on diverse factors, such as economic factors as well as socio-political circumstances. In the New World, white colonists created racial segregation, which continued to spread hate among the colonies for the natives (Smith). The interactions between the Christians and the Native Americans did not go smoothly as the colour black had been considered to be a sign of slavery, and therefore, anyone who had black skin was put into slavery (Smith). The text “Lieutenant Nun” is written by Catalina de Erauso and is based on her life from childhood into the later stages of her life. Catalina talks about the significant role the Church played in providing her haven when she was in dire need of protection. Catalina is known for having massacred a vast majority of Indians during her time in Chile (De Erauso). While the Europeans dealt severely with the Native Americans, the French, Spanish, and Dutch believed in keeping trade relations with the natives to gain profit. The Christian women, being devoted to their religion, took it upon themselves to guide the Native American women and help the new converts so that they could adequately follow the teachings of Christian belief (Keller and Ruether). American history shows that Catholic women were eager to take part in different reforms and end women’s suffering. The newly converted Native American women received proper care from the Church (Keller and Ruether). While the colonists in some areas mistreated the Native American women and put them into slavery, there were regions in the New World where the newly converted Native American women were treated as equals (Keller and Ruether).

Works Cited

De Erauso, Catalina. Lieutenant Nun: Memoir of a Basque Transvestite in the New World. Beacon Press, 2011.

Donaldson, Laura. “The Breasts of Columbus.” Laura E. Donaldson and Kwok Pui-Lan. New York: Routledge, 2002.

Flynn, Gerard C. Sor Juana Inés de La Cruz. Vol. 144, Irvington Pub, 1971.

Keller, Rosemary Skinner, and Rosemary Radford Ruether. In Our Voices: Four Centuries of American Women’s Religious Writing. Westminster John Knox Press, 1995.

Smith, Andrea. “Heteropatriarchy and the Three Pillars of White Supremacy.” Incite, 2006, pp. 66–73.