Native American Women
Among the many tribes of Native Americans throughout North America there
were many different roles for the Native American women. The roles of many
Native American women were very important to the every Indian tribe. First
of all women are important to any society since they are the bearers of children,
but to Native American tribes the women had many other very important responsibilities.
Among some American Indian tribes the women would make many of the weapons
that were used for hunting and war, and also built the homes they lived in,
gathered firewood, as well as herbs for medicine, and nuts and berries for
food.
Within many tribes the Native American women also did much of the farming
while the men hunted for the food the Native women would then cook. Some tribes
also had medicine women as well as their medicine men, and some of the tribes
also believed that women possessed a stronger healing power, and their healing
chants and herbal remedies were much more effective.
Another one of the many things the Native American women are known for are
their amazing and beautiful crafts. The Native American women are the ones
that made the crafts that have become very popular forms of art worldwide.
Some of the crafts they are known most for are the hand woven and quilted
blankets, colorful beaded necklaces, handmade and painted pottery. The women
of the tribes were also responsible for all of the other daily tasks that
were essential for the tribes’ survival, such as getting water from
nearby streams and rivers. They also made all of the clothing that the Native
people wore, which they made out of the hides of the animals that the Native
American men hunted. They would then decorate much of the clothing they made
with various patterns of beads and feathers. No matter what tribe you are
referring to, the women were always very important and had many different
roles for the survival of the tribe. Although in some tribes the women were
not allowed to participate in some of the spiritual ceremonies, they still
always had other important positions.
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