Each student must write an argumentative essay on a topic related to the course. A brief summary of two opposing articles from the text should be used to frame the philosophical debate you are addressing. Secondary sources should be used to either analyze the selected articles or to construct your own position. Most importantly, the final paper should contain a clear thesis that states the position you are defending. Your paper should be 1 ½ spaced in 12 point font, between 1750-2250 words, and the final word count of the text must be included at the end of the document. *All final papers submissions must be in either .doc or .pdf format*
Here is the proposal I came up with, I can’t change it this late:
In response to a culture of colonialism and patriarchy, the roots of the historical feminist movement born here in the US were geared toward gaining rights for cis-gendered straight white women. It was mainly focused on smashing the patriarchy and achieving equality for the above-mentioned population instead of equity for everyone, and it left out the crucial voices of women of color, especially those from the first nations. For a lot of indigenous women today, modern feminism still has an oppressive mood and continues to be heavily steeped in colonialism.
Indigenous feminism has a different vibe. It’s inclusive and universal, and it touches every area surrounding the lives of native women. As one woman said during a podcast interview, simply being an indigenous woman is an act of indigenous feminism. This essay will draw on three areas within the lives of native women: education, food, and identity, to illustrate why an indigenous feminist movement led by them is a necessary framework for there to be meaningful change in our world moving forward and to obtain equity for all people and sustainability for our planet.
Here are the sources I’ve come up with so far:
Matika Wilbur (Swinomish/Tulalip) & Dr. Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation). All My Relations & Indigenous Feminism. All My Relations. Season One. Episode One. February 26, 2019.
Diana Lilia Trivilla Espinal (Mexico). What Does Feminism Have to Do With the Food You Eat? A Journey Through Feminist Agroecology. Season One. Episode One. March 2022.
Lisa Water Ironcloud (Oglala Lakota), Dr. Priscilla Settee (Swampy Cree), & Simone Sinogles (Eagle Clan). Where Indigenous Feminisms and Food Sovereignties Meet. A Journey Through Feminist Agroecology. Season One. Episode Two. December 2022.
Melanie Yazzie (Navajo), Jen Marley (Tewa Pueblo), & Kenard Dillon (Navajo/Apache/Hopi). Pride Month: A Queer Indigenous Perspective. The Red Nation Podcast. Red Media. June 21, 2021.
Crystal Fraser (Gwich’in) & Dory Nason (Anishinaabe/Chicana). Indigenous Feminisms. Carving Space. Autumn Schnell. April 30, 2018.
Jihan Gearon (Black/Navajo). Indigenous Feminism Is Our Culture. Stanford Social Innovation Review. February 11, 2021.
Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville). The Indigenous Roots of Modern Feminism. Beacon Broadside. March 11, 2020.
Luhui Whitebear (Chumash). Disrupting Systems of Oppression by Re-centering Indigenous Feminisms. University of Washington. Undated. Matika Wilbur (Swinomish/Tulalip) & Dr. Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation). All My Relations & Indigenous Feminism. All My Relations. Season One. Episode One. February 26, 2019.
Diana Lilia Trivilla Espinal (Mexico). What Does Feminism Have to Do With the Food You Eat? A Journey Through Feminist Agroecology. Season One. Episode One. March 2022.
Lisa Water Ironcloud (Oglala Lakota), Dr. Priscilla Settee (Swampy Cree), & Simone Sinogles (Eagle Clan). Where Indigenous Feminisms and Food Sovereignties Meet. A Journey Through Feminist Agroecology. Season One. Episode Two. December 2022.
Melanie Yazzie (Navajo), Jen Marley (Tewa Pueblo), & Kenard Dillon (Navajo/Apache/Hopi). Pride Month: A Queer Indigenous Perspective. The Red Nation Podcast. Red Media. June 21, 2021.
Crystal Fraser (Gwich’in) & Dory Nason (Anishinaabe/Chicana). Indigenous Feminisms. Carving Space. Autumn Schnell. April 30, 2018.
Jihan Gearon (Black/Navajo). Indigenous Feminism Is Our Culture. Stanford Social Innovation Review. February 11, 2021.
Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville). The Indigenous Roots of Modern Feminism. Beacon Broadside. March 11, 2020.
Luhui Whitebear (Chumash). Disrupting Systems of Oppression by Re-centering Indigenous Feminisms. University of Washington. Undated.
