Women In The Hualapai Tribe

As mentioned previously, gender roles were seen as equal in communities and were used to balance the work of both men and women. The American Indian people often designated different tasks for the men and women to complete, but without both teams working together, duties could not be performed efficiently.

The Hualapai people are a tribe of Native Americans that are currently living in northwestern Arizona. The name Hualapai means “People of the Tall Pines”(“About Hualapai”). These people have a rich history that is passed on by oral tradition. These people have influences in hunting (“About Hualapai”). Through history, these people have not lost their culture and traditions.

To each society, there is its own set of rules. Many of these rules separate the women from the men or the children from the adults by creating certain duties for each individual. There are many comparisons between the women of Islamic and Roman societies. The roles that are given to these two groups of women show what is expected of them as a wife, the mother of the family, and where they stand politically.

Gender roles are the roles that men and women are expected to occupy based on their sex. Traditionally, many Western societies have believed that women are more nurturing then men . . . . One way that a woman might engage in the traditional feminine gender role would be to nurture her family by working full-time within the home rather than taking employment outside of the home. (Blackstone)

However, the boys were viewed as “that’s just how boys are”. The gender roles were clearly reflected within out household. Boys had the expectations of getting a good job and provide for their family when they married. Girls were to get married, cook/clean and maintain the household, take care of the children and always remember that they were the moral compass of the family unit.

Do peace, unity, and equality still exist this day in time among groups of people? Are we influenced by our environment to associate our way of seeing things and create language based on that fact? How we view the environment around us helps shape our understanding by creating language to give it meaning. Based on the linguistic data of the recently discovered tribe, we can draw conclusions about the tribe’s climate and terrain, diet, views on family and children, system of government and attitude towards war. This data shows that the lost tribe was an isolated group that lived in a valley, coexisted in unison, valued life, had high regards for

Women gathered food in groups; they had their own societies for ceremonial activity. They raised their children together until the children were about six or seven, at which point boys generally were sent to spend time with male relatives to be taught their roles in life. Girls remained with their mothers, learning the roles that they would eventually endeavor (Finch 44).

Gender and the ways gender is portrayed in society varies from culture to culture. Gender roles have changed drastically, especially during the 20th century and continue to evolve to this day. For years now there have been preconceived notions about genders and the roles each one should play in society, home, workplace, etc. Most times gender roles are associated with stereotypes and previous gender roles. Gender role plays different parts in religion, culture, society, time periods, countries, etc. Women rights and power varies in time and location and it is very interesting to look at the events, cultures, and customs that were taking place in that particular time period to get a better idea of the gender role concept.

”California Indians. 1999, p6. 2p. 1 Black and White Photograph, 1 Chart, 1 Map.” The mesquite and willow wood provide a flexible and strong base for the bow, which allowed the Cahuilla to hunt game from a distance. They also implemented another weapon that was similar to a boomerang that was held in one hand and tossed at smaller game. The throwing stick would incapacitate or stun the game in order to provide a chance for the Cahuilla hunter to acquire their prey ”http://www.augustinetribe.org/cahuilla.html”. Hunting was a big part of the Cahuilla life when the seasons would allow it. Using the seasons as indicators when their game would produce offspring, and when they were able to start hunting was no easy task as it shows excellent organizational and planning skills.

A woman’s role on the other hand does not consist of such significance and does not grant the power that the male role does. Rather, the female role consists of women acting modest and submissively; women are expected to be confined to being in their home, care for their family and depend on their spouses’ or males relatives.

At the same time there is a certain amount of equality between the men and women. Women can perform much of the same tasks that the opposite sex does without much, if any, chastisement or ridicule. Females have about just as much say when it comes to the inner workings of the society like marriages, child rearing, child birth, and ownership of goods and land. Most females are the initiators of divorce as explained in the book. Sexual equality is probably the most apparent amongst the tribesmen and women. Women are at times are forthcoming in their wants and needs when it comes to their sexual appetites and advances.

A typical Aztec women would usually take care of her family, specifically her children. An Aztec women would provide by doing household work and creating clothing for her own family. However, women were also able to have a career. Some Aztec women created and ran their own business, trading at a market or working as market referees. Some Aztec women devoted their time to become midwives, a priestess or they could work as healers.

Women: Women were in charge of the household. Raising children, chores, and staying in charge of husbands' businesses while they were away, etc.

Though not much is known about pre-historic man or woman, I have to guess that the struggle to stay alive alone must have taken all of early man’s time both day and night. Based on this thought, it is hard for me to imagine how roles outside the main task of staying alive would have been divided by gender. Women and men both probably foraged for edible foods and probably hunted together in pairs I would guess. Since groups were small I imagine roles were shared equally. As the groups became larger, more organized and more advanced in agriculture, gender roles probably became more prominent. In early times, a woman’s primary role became childbearing and keeping the home environment, whether it be in a cave, mud hut or other structure.

There are few differences in the way men and women behave and contribute to camp life. Both the husband and the wife raise the children; and, although generally men take care of hunting (using bamboo blowpipes and