Thank the Creator for “Radical” Native Women

Photo Credit: Juan Labreche/AP; Whitney Curtis/Getty Images News

In October, a Kansas Republican precinct committeeman named Michael Kalny called third congressional district hopeful Sharice Davids “a radical socialist kick boxing lesbian Indian” who would soon “be sent back packing to her reservation.” Less than a month later, the member of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Wisconsin who once competed as a mixed martial arts fighter became the first openly LGBTQ person elected to represent the Sunflower State in Congress. Davids will be sworn in alongside Laguna Pueblo tribal member Deb Haaland, whose efforts to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline helped propel her towards winning New Mexico’s first congressional district seat. In January, Davids and Haaland will become the first Native American women in history to serve in the United States Congress, yet they’re already trailblazers who succeeded despite derisive attacks on their “activism”—which is what opponents labeled their political platforms. While it’s no secret that throughout American history Native women have led positive change for their people, we all should note that an extraordinary time is upon us. The 116th Congress could be a watershed moment that elevates Native women in the eyes of all Americans and, perhaps more importantly, inspires the daughters of Indian Country. 

It’s infuriating to cite the statistics—more than four out of five Native women have experienced violence, and one out of two have survived a sexual assault—of which 90% were inflicted by non-Native aggressors. These horrifying numbers quantify but can’t convey the impact these acts have upon the victims and their children, actively perpetuating generational trauma that the government must work to end. Perhaps Davids and Haaland can be the ones to force Uncle Sam to loosen the federal purse strings to help their Native sisters. Of course, this is one issue among many where the new congresswomen could assert their political might, but by having a seat at the table on conversations the environment, social services, education, and protections for Native women, their voices can resonate at previously unheard levels.    

For at least the next two years, Native women will see two of their own argue for their causes on a national stage. As Davids and Haaland craft legislation, serve on subcommittees, and advocate for their positions, the American over-culture will witness the words and actions of two trailblazers who are coming to Washington bearing the concerns of their ancestors and the aspirations of future generations. Each victory they win will not only impact every American, but will also provide Native women with political role models whose paths they can aspire to follow. 

Unquestionably, Davids and Haaland will have to fight for every victory. The United States House of Representatives has a hierarchy that its freshmen members will be expected to follow. Still, Davids and Haaland’s unwillingness to accept the status quo on the campaign trail has already led detractors to label them as “radicals.” Although this is nothing more than an updated version of the dismissive “angry Indian” moniker from yesteryear, the reality is that the congresswomen won the right to be leaders. They can demand their time at the podium of our patriarchal society, which is no small victory when considering the sexism previous influential women such as Ada Deer (Menominee) and Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee) faced.

In an authorized biography written by Andrea Warner, Cree musical icon Buffy Sainte-Marie noted that she was labeled an “angry woman” for speaking her mind and often faced misogynistic thinking wherever she turned. Sainte-Marie endured sexual abuse as a child and later in life dealt with successful men such as Elvis Presley who tried to cajole her into relinquishing her publishing royalties. Even American Indian Movement members benefiting from her celebrity expected her to stand silently alongside other brilliant women activists. “Nobody ever gave us a microphone,” she recalled. Buffy Sainte-Marie: An Authorized Biography is a book that affirms its subject’s place in the pantheon of music history, making her all the more legendary because she created indelible art in the face of oppression. Her tenacity should be both revered and emulated, and perhaps we’re living on the cusp of some of the meaningful change Sainte-Marie and so many others dreamt of.                    

It’s not hard to picture a future world where Native women are valued as they should be. Around the country, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) are educating them for work in leadership roles wherever they choose to pursue them—and that includes Davids, a graduate of Haskell Indian Nations University. Like so many other TCU alumni, our students can find inspiration in following the moccasin steps of many amazing women who have thrived in the fields of business, science, art, music, and, now more than ever, national politics.    

Yet as I close, I must acknowledge that some may say it’s unfair to saddle Davids and Haaland with the task of making the world better for all Native women. Perhaps, but in looking to them we can embrace the audacious but powerful emotion known simply as hope. Their opponents may try to define them as “radicals,” but the truth is that throughout their service to our nation, Davids and Haaland will define themselves and their own legacies. Regardless, as it stands right now, we can be grateful for who they already are—heroes for our daughters, role models for our students, and bearers of hope for us all.  

Ryan Winn teaches English, theater, and communication at College of Menominee Nation, where he has been recognized as the American Indian College Fund’s Faculty Member of the Year.  

References

Cummings, W. (2018, October 10). Kansas Republican Vows to Send “Lesbian Indian” Democrat Back “to the Reservation.” USA Today. Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/10/gop-official-sharice-davids-kansas/1589389002/

Gilpin, L. (2018, June 7). Native American Women Still Have the Highest Rates of Rape and Assault. High Country Times. Retrieved from: https://www.hcn.org/articles/tribal-affairs-why-native-american-women-still-have-the-highest-rates-of-rape-and-assault

Indian Law Resource Center (2018). Ending Violence Against Native Women. Retrieved from: https://indianlaw.org/issue/ending-violence-against-native-women

Nelson, R. (2018, November 9). Native American Women Made History in the Midterms. Here’s Why It Took So Long. Newsweek. Retrieved from: https://www.newsweek.com/native-american-women-congress-history-midterms-1207991

Reilly, K. (2018, November 7). Democrats in Kansas, New Mexico Become First Native American Women Elected to Congress. Time. Retrieved from: http://time.com/5446593/sharice-davids-deb-haaland-first-native-american-woman-congress/

Warner, A. (2018). Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography. Vancouver, BC: Greystone Books. 

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the Inquisitive Academic or any other opinion columns published by the Tribal College Journal (TCJ) do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TCJ or the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.