Iroquoian Women: The Gantowisas provides a thorough, organized look at the social, political, economic, and religious roles of women among the Iroquois, explaining their fit with the larger culture. Gantowisas means more than simply «woman» - gantowisas is «woman acting in her official capacity» as fire-keeping woman, faith-keeping woman, gift-giving woman; leader, counselor, judge; Mother of the People. This is the light in which the reader will find her in Iroquoian Women. Barbara Alice Mann draws upon worthy sources, be they early or modern, oral or written, to present a Native American point of view that insists upon accuracy, not only in raw reporting, but also in analysis. Iroquoian Women is the first book-length study to regard Iroquoian women as central and indispensable to Iroquoian studies.

Presents illustrated retellings of nine ancient stories of the Iroquois peoples.

"This introduction to the fundamentals of Native American women's studies first looks at several definitive topics created by the western cultural notion of feminism, and western historical and religious perspectives on women. These include ecofeminism, gender roles and work, notions of power, essentialism, women's leadership, sexualities, and spirituality in light of gender. The book then discusses these concepts and their history from a traditional Native American point of view. Foremost among the questions that Native American Women's Studies addresses are; How have Native American women governed their nations? How was/is the divine creatrix expressed in Native American social systems? Most significantly, this book sheds light on the radical differences between the indigenous understanding of human experience in terms of gender, and that held and created by western culture."--BOOK JACKET.

The fifth edition of Women and Men: Cultural Constructs of Gender presents a synthesis of a wide range of ethnographic and historical data concerning the roles of women, men, and gender nonconforming people in different societies. It focuses on both material conditions and ideological valuations that affect and reflect cultural models of gender. NEW TO THIS EDITION Chapter 3 includes new sections on alternative gendered identities in the Lakota of the Plains and the Navajo of the Southwest and on Yanomamo land rights. Chapter 4 contains new sections on marriage options in the Northwest Coast and on Canadian First Nations contemporary issues concerning territorial rights and the protection of lands from contamination. Chapter 6 is significantly expanded by thorough discussions of the intersectionality of gender, class, and race. Chapter 7 includes a new section on the transmigration of women from poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America to wealthier countries in the Middle East, Europe, and North America to work as nannies, cooks, and other household help, as well as other resources. Chapter 8 is significantly revised to include changes that have recently taken place to counter dominating and dominant notions of gender and sexuality. This revision contains numerous new sections along with updated economic and social statistical data pertaining to the United States and to global resources. It reframes concepts of gender and of the intersectionality of gender, class, and race as they relate to discussions throughout the book. Ethnographic studies are expanded to include contemporary material on the peoples featured in the chapters.