Watchlist: A History of Indigenous Women with Lily Gladstone

By Kamiah Koch

Social media/digital journalist

Lily Gladstone, an actor from the Blackfoot Confederacy, is the latest celebrity to host the CrashCourse educational YouTube videos.

The CrashCourse channel has a Native American History series where they invite well-known Indigenous people to unpack a Native subject.

In Gladstone’s video, she discusses the history of Indigenous women.

“Well before Europeans arrived in what is now North America, Native beliefs around gender were – and still are – pretty diverse,” Gladstone said. “In fact, many Native American Tribes are matriarchal, meaning women hold significant power in our communities, including as the primary decision makers.”

Gladstone said matriarchal communities tend to value more equality, peace building, gift giving and consensus finding.

When violence was necessary, Gladstone said Native women would also lead war parties and fight in battle.

Gladstone tells the story of Buffalo Calf Road Woman.

“In the late 1800s, she and her family were camping near a creek when a group of white soldiers attacked,” Gladstone said. “When her brother fell in the fight, she rode into battle and rescued him. About a week later, with her Colt .45,  Buffalo Calf Road Woman would fight in the Battle of the Little Big Horn.”

Although there are stories of strong and inspiring Native women, not all Tribes have treated women as equals. Gladstone argues that it is what makes Native Tribes diverse. Some Tribes have gendered roles. In some Tribes, men hold more power.

However, many Tribes have also not abided by a binary gender system. In the Dine culture, a person can embrace both masculine and feminine energies (called a “Nadleehi”) and they are considered sacred. They often served as a medicine person, a highly respected role.

“The onset of European colonization disrupted gender roles, as it did so many other things, so many.” Gladstone said. “Europeans didn’t vibe with the way women held power in many Native societies.”

Gladstone continues discussing the history of Native women, including shedding light on the violence against women we still see today, Native female activism and contemporary inspirational Native women.

You can watch the entire video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj8EjBQJD84.