Difference between revisions of "Week 2 Questions/Comments-327 11"
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(→Mary Rowlandson’s account (1681) and Mary Jemison’s account (1824)) |
Ashleyv456 (Talk | contribs) (→John Heckewelder’s 1819, Women’s Lives among the Delaware) |
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I was particularly intrigued by the account of John Heckewelder and the way in which he described the gender roles of the Delaware Indian Families. Heckewelder was thorough in his descriptions about the work of the women. However, he was always quick to compare their labor with that of the men and made it clear that the women's work was inferior. Because the men were out hunting, they were doing work in which "their existence depend[ed]" (32). It is evident by looking at this text that Heckewelder was assessing the Native Americans through the lens of the static European gender roles that existed at the time. --Ellen S. | I was particularly intrigued by the account of John Heckewelder and the way in which he described the gender roles of the Delaware Indian Families. Heckewelder was thorough in his descriptions about the work of the women. However, he was always quick to compare their labor with that of the men and made it clear that the women's work was inferior. Because the men were out hunting, they were doing work in which "their existence depend[ed]" (32). It is evident by looking at this text that Heckewelder was assessing the Native Americans through the lens of the static European gender roles that existed at the time. --Ellen S. | ||
| + | What first sparked my interest in "Women's Lives Among the Delaware" is when Heckewelder was describing marriage and how it doesn't have to be forever. He stated that if the marriage no longer "suited their pleasure" or wasn't convenient any more, they could voluntarily leave. I found this to be a bit shocking. I thought female American Indians were forced into marriages, but I was wrong, they didn't even have a ceremony. It was also interesting to read about how women did hard labor (tilling the land, getting firewood, accompanying men while hunting and holding the heavy bags and equipment, etc.). I was happy to read that they didn't complain about it and was glad to do the work. One thing I didn't agree with was how he made it sound like the men were better than the women because they brought home the food and put themselves in danger. -- Ashley V. | ||
== Samuel de Champlain, 1616 == | == Samuel de Champlain, 1616 == | ||
