Gender Roles In Oglala Women's Culture

We have always learned about the history and it always has to do with men. The role they had and what they contribute to society. However, this is not only a man’s world but also a woman’s. Furthermore, gender and diversity of world's religion is projected in the book assign Oglala Women Myth, Ritual and Reality by Marla N. Powers. The book is based on the life of women from a Lakota tribe and what their gender role contribute to the tribe and to their families.

The most interesting chapter of the book was the old age, chapter 6. In this chapter, it focuses on the roles of a grandmother and of medicine women. I would extend my knowledge on this chapter and focus on the particular roles they had to accomplish and what was expected of them.

I consider grandmothers and medicine women to be vital for the Lakota culture and their traditions. In how they are view and respected for their wisdom and power. In addition, I would also focus on the online reading on the soul of the Indian, including further research to state my point. Comparing the readings and how they are related to the Oglala Women book. Including my critical response in how my own religion and culture is similar to the Oglala culture.
In the Lakota culture, respect towards the elder is an essential element towards their values. In the Oglala book, it discusses how older women were important in teacher young girls about practical skills. According to Powers, “Grandmothers assumed most of the responsibility of caring for and instructing female children, and in many respects they were more important in this than the children's mothers” (M. N. Power 68). However, we can see that older women were respected more than the mothers of children. Older women such as grandmothers have been the main source of keeping traditions, customs, and beliefs alive. The older women were more important because they were the ones that pass down all their knowledge and wisdom to the new female generations. In the Oglala culture they believe the older women were wise because they knew more about life and keep the traditions alive by passing them down. The older women did not only have to pass down their skills. The older women pass down their wisdom to the younger female generation. Girls learn from their grandmothers practically skills such as cooking, sewing, and decorating clothes. Aside of learning practical skills, they also taught them about their spirit and moral responsibilities.
In the book, American Indian Grandmother Tradition by Marjorie Schweitzer.

It discusses how grandmothers were viewed a respected in the Indian culture. The respect they had towards older women was part of their culture. The main source of respect was formed by teaching children to respect the elders. According to Schweitzer “Traditional cultural values teach children an attitude of respect towards the elders” (Schweitzer). The tradition of respect has been kept alive by teaching children and generations respect. In the comparison to the Oglala culture, they also believe older women were highly respected. Respect was vital but when it came to younger women, the respect the tribe had towards grandmothers was not the same for the mother of the child. There were various reasons that follow why the respect was not the same for both mothers and

grandmothers.
In the Oglala culture grandmothers a side of teaching the girls skills, they also had the responsibility of protecting the young girls. They were the guarding and mentors, of the girls. According to Eastman, “If a girl, she is from this time much under the guardianship of her grandmother, who is considered the most dignified protector for the maiden” (Eastman).The grandmother was more protective than the own mothers. They taught the girls right from wrong and gave them a moral and personal perspective of life.
The Oglala believe that girls should remain pure as a symbolized to buffalo calf women.

Buffalo calf woman was one of the myths that surrounded the Oglala culture. The story was told by older women to new generations. These tales have been passing down from their ancestors. The story of how the universe was created. A woman was the creator of time and space; she came from the sky and came to earth as a fallen star. “ In the transformation of Falling Star into the sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman, she brings to a starving Lakota nation that instrument of prayer the Calf Pipe, which along with the Seven Sacred Rites will intervene in their lives whenever they are experiencing hardship and danger” (Powers 13). The story of buffalo calf women is one of the sacred tales to the Oglala culture. She was the provider of the seven sacred rites and gave the Oglala culture hope in times of suffering and danger. The seven sacred rites have been a part of the Oglala and were perform during the following seven ceremonies, vision quest, ghost keeping, making of relatives, buffalo ceremony, throwing the ball, and sun

dance.
Women who had reached menopause were likely to gain the power of becoming medicine women. However, not all women from the tribe gain the right to become a medicine woman once they reach menopause. In order to become a medicine woman, they needed to be chosen by the medicine men or have visions on their own. Certain women gain the power while other considered that their powers were stolen by medicine men. These medicine women were called, “Penjuta winyela” and their especially reside in the following order “The medicine women specialized mainly in healing the sick through massage, through herbal medicines, especially teas, and through rituals that required them to suck out the illness through a bone tube” (M. N. Power 73). They were able to heal men and women. The Oglala’s believe the powers the medicine women possessed were sacred and if miss used they would be terrible consequences. The spirits would react by harming their loved ones and taking their life. The use of healing was through herbal medicine. Medicine woman had the difficult task of searching for herbs and this process was not easy at all. They had to follow specific instructions in order to pick the herbs.
Medicine women would either go by themselves or with others on the search for herbs. When it was time to pick the herbs they had to be careful with other women that were menstruating. “The touch of a menstruating woman was thought to render such things impotent” (M. N. Power 48). They believe if a woman performs a task while menstruating there would be consequences. They would maintain them away from the men, food, and the weapons.
However, medicine women had to perform rituals in order to pick the herb special offerings had to be honor before taking the herbs. “Once found, the plant could not be picked until the medicine woman made offerings to the spirits of the universe, praying to the sky and earth and to the four directions, beginning with the west wind and facing in each direction moving clockwise” (M. N. Power 75). The four directions, north, east, south, and west require special offering. They had to honor the four directions by offering a prayer, singing, including a verse. The ritual had to be perfume all the time when herbs were to be picked. The outstanding fact is that medicine women and men knew more than three hundred herbs. Herbs were a big part of the healing process along with rituals and prayers. They are a vast variety of herbs which help cure minor illness, such as urination, constipation, headaches, and common colds.
However, I believe the Oglala culture is not so different from our society today. I believe we share common views and values with the Oglala culture. Which my own culture we highly respect the elders. They have lived longer and they know more about life as well passing their knowledge and wisdom. Aside, of being older they have a better understanding about life and value, engaging us with morality and personal values. Including, passing down of customs and traditions. However, I disagree that a grandmother should be the child main teachers in life. Including having more power over the child than the own mother. I believe my disagreement has to do how I was raised. I come from a traditional Mexican culture, where women are responsible for their own offspring. It is the mothers’ duty to teach her child right from wrong, including practical skills. I consider this part of my custom because my father was the one who would always make the reference “I already raise you, why do I need to raise your offspring”. However, women in today’s society we have different believes compared to the Oglala culture. Grandmothers are not the main guardians of the children and they are not responsible for teaching them new skills. The mother is responsible for her child. In today’s society, we do not have the same traditions as the Oglala culture because we have taken adapted to other customs.