Aboriginal - Girls Action Foundation

By Shauna Ponask
Aboriginal women’s leadership means that society has accepted, supported and
followed the values and beliefs of female leaders who originally occupied our
country. These leaders have passed on their culture, traditions and spirituality onto the
next generation. Leadership does not have to involve power or prestige. Leadership can
mean a mother caring for her child. Leadership can mean being a positive role model for
a community. Leadership can mean fighting for the rights of individuals who cannot fight
for themselves. I believe that all Aboriginal women are leaders, even though society has
attempted to undermine them. Aboriginal women continue to be leaders since the early
days of traditional Aboriginal societies.
In traditional Aboriginal societies, women are seen and respected as equals. Aboriginal
women were respected and honored as leaders who were significant members involved
in the family, government, as well as in spiritual ceremonies. Women were just as
important as the men in traditional Aboriginal societies, as they both performed
functions that were vital to the survival of their people. Women were mainly responsible
for the household duties and were viewed as both life givers and as caretakers.
During the time of first contact between Aboriginals and Europeans involved in the
fur trade, Aboriginal women were seen as a great asset. Aboriginal women took
on the role of caretakers for these newcomers. Aboriginal women were usually the
translators, guides, and they also ensured that these newcomers would survive the
harsh and unpredictable conditions of this unique and unfamiliar land. For example, one
famous Aboriginal woman was Thanadelthur, a Chipewyan woman who assisted the
Hudson’s Bay Company and acted as a guide, as well as an interpreter in the late 1700s.
Thanadelthur was also a key member in the peace agreement between the Chipewyan
and the Cree people during a time of great distress.
Through the advancement of the fur trade, Aboriginal women struggled to maintain
their traditional identities. Aboriginal women played a vital role in establishing trade
relations between their people and the newcomers. These women were responsible for
ensuring survival of their communities by following the traditional Aboriginal customs
Shauna Ponask
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