15: Colonization, Gender Roles, and Violence Against Indigenous Women

This chapter examines the impact of colonization on gender roles among the Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States within the context of interpersonal violence against Indigenous women. The gender roles in Indigenous societies tended to be egalitarian during the pre-contact period, but now reflect male dominance after assimilation. Addressing interpersonal violence against Indigenous women requires a return to the traditions of honoring the female gender roles and the dismantling of colonial structures and attitudes that maintain violence against Indigenous women.