The Iroquois people have a long and rich history that goes back centuries. Their views on women have been shaped by this history, and the story of “The World on Turtle’s Back” is a great example of how the Iroquois view women. In this story, women are seen as powerful, wise, and integral to the creation and continuation of the world.
Iroquois View of Women
The Iroquois people have a long history of respecting and honoring women. They view women as powerful and wise and believe that women are integral to the creation and continuation of the world. Women are seen as the life-givers and nurturers and are responsible for the home and the family. They are also seen as leaders and decision-makers, and their opinions and advice are highly valued.
The Iroquois believe that women should be respected and treated with the same dignity as men. They also believe that women should be given equal opportunities and should be allowed to participate in all aspects of life.
"The World on Turtle’s Back"
The story of “The World on Turtle’s Back” is a great example of the Iroquois’ view of women. In the story, a woman named Sky Woman is the one who creates the world. She is seen as a powerful and wise creator and is revered for her creation.
The story also shows that women are integral to the continuation of the world. Sky Woman’s daughter, Eithinoha, takes on the role of protector and nurturer of the world. She is seen as the one who will keep the world safe and ensure its continuation.
The story of “The World on Turtle’s Back” demonstrates the Iroquois’ view of women as powerful, wise, and integral to the creation and continuation of the world. It also shows that women should be respected and treated with the same dignity as men.
The Iroquois people have a long history of respecting and honoring women. The story of “The World on Turtle’s Back” is a great example of this, and it demonstrates the Iroquois’ view of women as powerful, wise, and integral to the creation and continuation of the world. This story is a reminder of the importance of respecting and honoring women, and of giving them equal opportunities and allowing them to participate in all aspects of life.
The Iroquois are an ancient indigenous tribal people native to what is now known as New York State. As a matriarchal society, the Iroquois valued and respected their women and even gave them great power in their communities. This is best demonstrated in the Iroquois narrative “The World on Turtle’s Back,” which is an origin story that explains the creation of the world.
The story begins with the mythical Sky Women falling from the Sky World to the Earth below. After being rescued from the freezing water by a turtle, she goes on to create the natural order of the world with the help of her new friends, the animals of the Earth. During the process of creation, Sky Women gives great importance to the female figures in the story. For example, Sky Women gives the power of fertility and reproduction to the animals, and gives the power of horticulture to the First Mother. Additionally, she names two women as the protectors of the forests and the sea respectively.
More importantly, Sky Women also appoints a group of women as the keepers of society by giving them each a bundle of wisdom. This bundle of wisdom was then passed down from generation to generation of Iroquois women, “guaranteeing their power within the community, which was inherited collectively by successive generations of Iroquois women” (Hardenberg).
Through “The World on Turtle’s Back,” we can see how the Iroquois viewed women as powerful figures in their society, not just as the protectors of children or the participants of household activities. The women mentioned in this story have an influence on the world from the highest levels; from creating the land or being the guardians of the forests and seas to providing knowledge and wisdom. This narrative best demonstrates the importance of women in Iroquois culture by giving them a leadership role in the stories of creation.
Bibliography
Hardenberg, Lisa Ann. “The World on Turtle’s Back: Exploring The Power of Iroquois Women.” The Wicazo Sa Review, volume 16, number 1 Spring/Summer 2000, pp.8-25.
