A Recognition of Being: Reconstructing Native Womanhood

by Kim Anderson

Anderson traces the construction of the negative Native female stereotype during colonization and explores ways Native women are reclaiming powerful images of themselves.

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, Academic, Gender, Feminism

Paperback

First published April 27, 2000

Reviews

[Kim Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for ALL women; whether urban, rural or reservation.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially a thesis read but I would recommend to everyone! Such a powerful read! And written by a uog professor

[Shelbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! A great contemporary look at Native women's roles in their communities and ceremonies. It also deconstructed the colonized image of Native women and gave you the tools to analyze texts about Natives written by white men. All around a very pleasant read, and a super inspiring one if you aren't super well connected to your tribal origins (if you grew up off the rez, for example.)

[Eileen Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book because I read about it in Contact Zones by Katie Pickles

[Natalie C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this book. I only got to the second section and kinda got bored. For me it was kind of repetitive. It read a lot more like a memoir than a look at Native womanhood in general. Which is fine but that's not what the title and back cover sounded like.

I found that the author talked WAY more about her own confusion and stuff which is extremely valid, but in my opinion she should have kept it in one section rather than spreading it throughout the book, leaving the rest of the book for the people she interviewed like elders, middle aged, and young women. I flipped through, and some stories from the interviewees were great and provided good perspectives - her spreading her experiences throughout the entire thing was distracting though.

However, not a book I really want to keep (I bought it but returned it after being disappointed in what I was reading) especially as I can read it online for free this year at my school's library website. I will read the whole thing sometime and provide a complete review but for now I'm taking it off my currently-reading list.

[Nanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book, full of hope. :) As an indigenous woman from a mixed cultural background, reading this book was a breath of fresh air! It gives hope to those who, like me, were not raised in a reservation, as well as to those who were but find their "traditional" ways of life changing.

This book touches on all topics affecting community and culture and gives hope for the future, assuaging the fears and giving us permission to look beyond the limits imposed by society- both the original and the conquering. It allows us to understand the places we fill are not set in stone, our identity is our own to define and it expresses the fluidity of life and how women are an essential part of this. It encourages women to move forward and be who we are in our indigenous societies and how it is imperative for us to do this for the survival of our cultures.

[Rachel Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great resource, but there were repetitive sections.

[Travellinbuddha]

This book is life changing!