Guardians of the Nation
This article addresses Indigenous women’s activism in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It highlights women’s role in the Red Power movement, a North American-wide push for Indigenous self-determination, as well as traces the, not unrelated, quest to eliminate article 12(1) b) of the Indian Act where women lost Indian status upon out-marriage. The author also outlines the rise of the Quebec Native Women’s Association (QNWA), a pan-Indigenous women’s group based in Kahnawake. Although the organization contested article 12(1) b), the QNWA was equally critical of the colonial aspects of the education and health care systems. Therefore, the author discusses the various tactics adopted by Indigenous women in their quest for self-determination and equality. By doing so, the article contributes to our understanding of Indigenous women’s organizing, in a manner inclusive of, yet not limited to, the battle to amend the Indian Act.