I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism

by Lee Maracle

I Am Woman represents my personal struggle with womanhood, culture, traditional spiritual beliefs and political sovereignty, written during a time when that struggle was not over. My original intention was to empower Native women to take to heart their own personal struggle for Native feminist being. The changes made in this second edition of the text do not alter my original intention. It remains my attempt to present a Native woman's sociological perspective on the impacts of colonialism on us, as women, and on my self personally.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Sociology, Poetry, Canada, Race

146 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, she grew up in the neighbouring city of North Vancouver and attended Simon Fraser University. She was one of the first Aboriginal people to be published in the early 1970s.

Maracle is one of the most prolific aboriginal authors in Canada and a recognized authority on issues pertaining to aboriginal people and aboriginal literature. She is an award-winning poet, novelist, performance storyteller, scriptwriter, actor and keeper/mythmaker among the Stó:lō people.

Maracle was one of the founders of the En’owkin International School of Writing in Penticton, British Columbia and the cultural director of the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.

Maracle has given hundreds of speeches on political, historical, and feminist sociological topics related to native people, and conducted dozens of workshops on personal and cultural reclamation. She has served as a consultant on First Nations’ self-government and has an extensive history
in community development. She has been described as “a walking history book” and an international expert on Canadian First Nations culture and history.

Maracle has taught at the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Southern Oregon University and has served as professor of Canadian culture at Western Washington University. She currently lives in Toronto, teaching at the University of Toronto First Nations House. She most recently was the writer-in-residence at the University of Guelph.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her writing is very free.

She brings up lots of interesting points which I feel unable to synthesize. Instead I'll give you some of my highlighted passages:

"By its very nature, racism only permits the victimized race to engage that hatred among its own. Lateral violence among Native people is about our anti-colonial rage working itself out in an expression of hate for one another."

"To be raped is to be sexually violated. For society to force someone, through shame and ostracism, to comply with love and sex that it defines, is nothing but organized rape. That is what homophobia is all about. Organized rape."

[In reference to teachers] "Do they witness the sickening urgency of the children's noonday trek to the corner store for their daily hit of sugar--and do they weep? Do they know the history of the courageous women healers who organized and protested the production and importation of sugar to their country almost five hundred years ago? Do they know that the fate of these women who actively campaigned against this "poison" was to be burned at the stake for heresy? The church owned and controlled much of the sugar trade. It required the traffic of human slaves and a willing population. Women healers were persecuted for their objections."

[Rori · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A powerful, difficult and uncomfortable read. But so important. The effects of colonialism and its twin brother racism are vast and deeply felt. Oof.

[Karen Weisbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published in 1988 and written from a Native woman's sociological and feminist perspective, I am Woman confronts the legacy of colonialism on First Nations women and girls as well as on Lee Maracle personally. Presented through poetry, stories and essays, the collection represents Maracle's struggle with womanhood, culture, traditional spiritual beliefs and political sovereignty.

Why haven't I heard of this important book before? Why hasn't this work been required reading at the high school level? Most importantly, why didn't this book move women to action decades ago?

While written 30 years ago, this book remains powerful and necessary today. In fact, it could be argued that it is more important in today's political climate of anti-feminism and intolerance. It is extremely significant given the staggering statistics of missing and murdered First Nation women and girls in Canada. http://www.cbc.ca/missingandmurdered/ Since this book was published, these women and girls have been dying at an increasingly alarming rate; they are roughly seven times more likely to be murdered than non-indigenous women.

I am a proud and patriotic Canadian. However, as the 150th anniversary of confederation approaches, the federal government plans to spend half a billion dollars in celebration. While First Nations women continue to live (and die) in crisis, perhaps the money would be better spent in beginning the hard work necessary to make amends for the legacy of colonialism.

I am Woman is an important and thought provoking read. I urge you to read it.

[Allie Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nowhere is she inviting a response from white people. She created a boundary to express her thoughts and beliefs without fear of persecution, to share her view with others who had a similar history. As she writes, I am not writing this for white people; if you come across it, that's okay. I felt some white guilt after this read, and that is something I can feel; however, I cannot ask BIPOC to 'forgive' or do anything to relieve that. As native women have to live surviving the white patriarchy, I must live with the guilt of knowing, and find a way to support their voices with overshadowing them.

[Courtney D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got me all fired up! The Chapters are short, the stories aren't necessarily linear. The writing comes across as though each chapter is a speech at a protest. Statements full of emotion and opinion. The concept is clear - reject colonialism. It's unfortunate that 20 years after the second edition was published, little has really changed. Indigenous people are still fighting to operate on white institutions. Predominantly male leaders are lining their own pockets instead of building their people up.

[Barth Siemens · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an "inside look at the madness that the colonial process creates," this is a reasonable book to read. But then I wouldn't want to do that too often. I was looking for more than that, and was a little disappointed.

[Sherry Monger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee Maracle is a brilliant First Nation's poet and essayist. In this book, which is more like a conversation, she ponders the disastrous effect of colonization on Indigenous people and describes her journey through racism and paternalism. "Racism is not an ideology in the abstract, but a very real and practical part of our lives. The pain, the effect, the shame are tangible, measurable and murderous."
"The result of being colonized is the internalization of the need to remain invisible. The colonizers erase you, not easily but with pain and brutality. Eventually you want to stay that way. Being a writer is getting up there and writing yourself onto everyone's blackboard. We were raised in a settler society, divorced from our past and alienated from our past." "A sense of powerlessness is the legacy handed down to the colonized people"
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has eloquently outlined the delicate and complicated path to a new relationship with First Nations. It is our responsibility to listen, understand and walk that path.

[Elizabeth Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a few of Maracle’s shorter writings before, and have found her commentary to be both interesting and important. There were some parts of this particular book that I found slightly problematic (e.g., lots of gender binary language), but it was written over 30 years ago, so I’m sure Maracle has grown both personally and as a writer since then. This book did have some great passages and gave a very intimate & personal look at her understanding of feminism, colonialism, racism, etc., making this a very relevant and impactful read.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful prose & poetry that captures such raw emotion and truth to North American Natives' struggle(s). Very much reminded me of Audre Lorde's style of writing in the presentation of amazing revolutionary thinking in such few words.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important free flowing writings from the 80’s bringing a much needed and early Indigenous Woman perspective on colonialism, feminism and queer relationships.

[Malou · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 stars. I Am Woman is an intense, necessary book. Even though progress has been made over the last 20 years, it is striking to see how many of the issues put forward by Maracle are very much existant. I Am Woman has not ceased to be an urgent and necessary book. Her message is clear and well written. Re-read(s) is/are recommended even though it is not an easy read. Reading this book will never be easy as long as decolonization is not a fact.

[Elodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

D’abord lu pour un cours d’université. J’ai finalement adoré cette lecture poignante. Avec un ton humoristique, revendicateur et dénonciateur elle raconte les contrecoups du colonialisme sur les communautés autochtones. Autant d’une perspective sociologique que féministe. Ses écrits sont crus et dur à lire.
J’ai adoré ce livre. Il est encore aujourd’hui extrêmement pertinent.

[Val Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cet audacieux essai parsemé de témoignages percutants et de poèmes sensibles est d'une impressionnante justesse et d'une pertinence sans équivoque.

[Caris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written to make you feel uncomfortable. It pulls no punches, and it says what no one dares to say. And like every one of her works, Maracle blows me away with her poignant yet composed prose. She has a way of engaging with non-Indigenous thought with intellectual rigour and honesty; she uses the logic of Western theories to support decolonial discourses, and simultaneously deconstructs them to demonstrate why they, too, need Indigenous knowledge.

I admit, I was misled by the title when I started reading this book, but it was a pleasant surprise. This isn’t just a book about feminism. Through essays and poems, Maracle tackles racism, colonialism, capitalism and queerness—all of which intersect with gendered oppression. While she writes, as she says, for Indigenous people, her words need to be heard by everyone.

[kripsoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the few books I've found that really explores the issues of sovereignty and native women together and Maracle really explains the connection between women integrity and wholeness and tribal self-determination and She also looks at issues of domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault from a uniquely native perspective I would recommend this book to all women of native descent and This is an excellent well researched treatise on how academicians who try to fit Native American women into either feminist or sociological boxes fail I ti s very detailed and informative The author does justice to her topic and raises important questions for academicians to consider

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

***/ {3.5 stars}

"Should we have been invited not as inferior sub-humans, but as people with a great contribution to make to the creation of a new nation, death would not haunt us as it does. More, our disappearance from the realm of history – the lingering realization that to most Canadians we do not exist – would not be our intimate agony."

Maracle has written an insightful book filled with her beautiful poetry, vehement diatribes and tender nostalgia for a past one will never be able to return to.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writen in free-form manner, Lee Maracle weaves poetry, politics, and personal antecdotes into a thought compelling narative. She hides neither her subjectivity nor her anger, but instead makes it the core of her work.

[Haliation · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be the most potent 142 pages I've ever read. I think every Indigenous woman should read this. Hell, anyone who's interested in standing in solidarity with Indigenous women should read this.
Incredible.

[Daisy · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first time to read a book about racism/feminism, it's a tough journey. I can feel the rage but I think I can't really see things from the writer's perspective. I agree "we should stop hating each other". Sometimes, discrimination exists in our own people.

[Kimberly Van dijk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough-right-in-your-face read with a lot of understandable anger on the author's behalf. Now that I've finished it I'm going back to take some notes...
I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who truly cares about colonization and its effects on our Indigenous people...

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an easy read. Maracle's truth is sharp and fearless and doesn't let anyone off easy, including herself. An essential text for Native women of all ages who are ready to grow into themselves.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is SO MUCH in this little book. Instantly catapulted to one of my favorites. Full of sharp wisdom. I just might reread this once a year; I'm sure I'll uncover new wisdom every time. Highly recommended.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book several times and highly recommend it. It is a real eye-opener on a Native feminist consciousness.

[Hilda William]

Awakening the issues of Sociology & Women's in terms of First Nations people.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the spirit of Lorde and Fanon. Fantastic.

[Kurukka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written.

Read as part of my corpus for a thesis.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I filmed a review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=908hz...

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

As relevant as ever!

[Big Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply personal, poetic, and highly engaging work of non-fiction.