This is how I grew up...Traditional Gender Roles [I Believe In Traditional Gender Roles]
Gender roles is typically a hot topic. What a "man" is or what a "woman" should be. These concepts, yeah I can see how it infringes on personal freedoms and how it wouldn't seem bueno given today advancements socially.
My culture at the foundation is a gendered role society. Men have their responsibilities and women have their responsibilities and the funny thing is, these are not dictated by either gender. They're guidance set forth by the ancient ones and our cultural stories. Of course there's some human influence given these stories. That's understandable.
However, I come from a Matrilineal culture. The Grandmother has last say in everything. If she doesn't like how something is going she alters it. The Grandfather is there to reinforce her decisions. He's the strong arm. She's the brains. In the immediate, the mother runs the house, has the say, the father ensures that everything important to her is protected, provided for, and built when needed. She has one responsibility above all else, protecting the kids. She's the last line of defense. She's constantly in battle, she's a warrior just the same as the man. She fights against hunger, poverty, and disease.
All Navajo women back in the day had the suffix, "bah" at the end of their name. It means warrior, or to war, or fights. It wasn't about what the man "is" or what a woman "should be" it was about ensuring the survival of the children. It was their responsibility. Grandma showed you the way, Grandpa reinforced the teachings.
My grandma was a strong woman, she knew where everyone had to head. We have medicine men/women...it was my Grandpas responsibility to go find them if my Grandma wanted them to come do a ceremony...if my grandma wanted the teepee up my grandpa had to put it up. In this way, the culture was completed and the children were being prepared for their responsibilities.
Everything is man and woman in my culture. Nothing is in between and nothing is self serving. There's no "live your best life" there's "ensure life continues". It's not about you, its about keeping the culture going, ensuring the connection with Mother Earth and Father Sky/Sun is never severed. It's about paying respect to the Holy People before us who lived the same way...
It's not about "me", its not about "you" its' about responsibility...
Use to be anyway, of course this is an old concept.
I don't dictate the culture I just observe its changes...
My culture at the foundation is a gendered role society. Men have their responsibilities and women have their responsibilities and the funny thing is, these are not dictated by either gender. They're guidance set forth by the ancient ones and our cultural stories. Of course there's some human influence given these stories. That's understandable.
However, I come from a Matrilineal culture. The Grandmother has last say in everything. If she doesn't like how something is going she alters it. The Grandfather is there to reinforce her decisions. He's the strong arm. She's the brains. In the immediate, the mother runs the house, has the say, the father ensures that everything important to her is protected, provided for, and built when needed. She has one responsibility above all else, protecting the kids. She's the last line of defense. She's constantly in battle, she's a warrior just the same as the man. She fights against hunger, poverty, and disease.
All Navajo women back in the day had the suffix, "bah" at the end of their name. It means warrior, or to war, or fights. It wasn't about what the man "is" or what a woman "should be" it was about ensuring the survival of the children. It was their responsibility. Grandma showed you the way, Grandpa reinforced the teachings.
My grandma was a strong woman, she knew where everyone had to head. We have medicine men/women...it was my Grandpas responsibility to go find them if my Grandma wanted them to come do a ceremony...if my grandma wanted the teepee up my grandpa had to put it up. In this way, the culture was completed and the children were being prepared for their responsibilities.
Everything is man and woman in my culture. Nothing is in between and nothing is self serving. There's no "live your best life" there's "ensure life continues". It's not about you, its about keeping the culture going, ensuring the connection with Mother Earth and Father Sky/Sun is never severed. It's about paying respect to the Holy People before us who lived the same way...
It's not about "me", its not about "you" its' about responsibility...
Use to be anyway, of course this is an old concept.
I don't dictate the culture I just observe its changes...
36-40, M
