Oglala Women Reality Summary

Oglala Women Reality

People in the past distorted the role of women by treat them as slaves or household because they believe women and men are not equal and women inferior to their men. However, Oglala people were lived in society that respect both gender and refused the distinction between the men and women. The general view of Oglala society was men and women are equal and they complement to each other.

In her book Oglala Women, Myth, Ritual, and Reality, Powers conveys what it means to be an Oglala woman. She introduced all researches and studies done on Oglala society which reflect deep understanding of both men and women roles in past and how it change in the present. She drew a clear picture of Oglala culture by highlighting the Oglala

social structure and the differences of man and women roles. “In myth and ritual, Oglala women clearly do dominate; in history, the males are regarded as superior”(Powers 5). Despite of Myth of the American that consider Oglala women as inferior to men, Oglala myth consider women as superior. However, in the realty, as powers argues and emphasized that the roles of male and female emerge as complementary.
“Indian males had suffered greater identity dislocation.

The male roles of hunter, warrior, and shaman had been destroyed but women still had children to be reared and domestic tasks to attend to"(Page3). Oglala men were traditionally proficient in the shamans, hunters, remains ever on guard against enemy attacks on their families, warriors and chiefs. Moreover, Oglala women go with their nature, they were wives, mothers who rearing their children, house holding and the caretakers of the community. Due to so many transformations of Oglala society and economy, Oglala people’s life were Influenced by reservations. Oglala women have been flexibly able to adapt to the white American society and provide much of the stability of new tribal life. Women’s roles and skill were transferable into the external work force of white America. They were able to continue with their care taking skills and work as nurses or office worker. Despite of that men’s roles were faced a painful eradicate. They were unable to continue doing any of their

skill.
“ Women controlled the food, resources and movable property “ (page). In Oglala society dominate the most important stuff in society. Oglala women were like to show the mythic especially in front of their husband. What is more interesting is that when Lakota men get married they have to go and live in their wives place which gave them more sportiness in their life, control men’s behavior and get highly regarded and respect in their tribe.

“The reality is that men increasingly defer to women” (page 204).

The myth of female and the relation between males and females in these days is totally different from what it used to be before. Women in myth considered who brings the peace and love. Although Oglala men deprived of their historical roles and they have difficultly come over and adapted with their new status comparing to females, they continue to be chiefs, leaders, and Warriors. In same time, Women who settle oneself in one of the work fields or professional social statues such as superintendents of reservations, district and community leaders and other more proved them selves in myth and Oglala. Even if Oglala women don’t have seigniory , they dignify and support their men, and present them as persons who have a high statues such as leaders or bosses. By supporting men, women try to push them up in the white men’s society or world. However, the wrong support women's which actually should called productive and reproductive roles as the basis for female subordination, to unreal leading or power make it difficult to Oglala men to me real leader to free society. Between the women’s superiority and men dominate the world move and what actually happened the superiority and dominate one of men or women cause of superiority and dominate of the

other.