Introduction
Indigenous female scholars have played a significant role in advancing different ideologies in their communities. First, Cameron (2016) notes that Hurston played a key role in advancing religious beliefs among African American communities. Second, Murray (1974) documents how Deloria wrote about language among native Dakota community. Third, Chilisa and Gabo (2009) details how Chilisa researched on gender roles among African communities. Fourth, Trask (2004) documents how Trask researched about the 18th-century tribal war in California. Finally, Smylie and Michelle (2015) show how they advocate for the health challenges facing indigenous communities in Canada. Collectively, the five scholars have had profound socio-economic effect on their respective communities.
Zora Neale Hurston on Religion
African American religious beliefs have changed since slavery with different scholars’ input integral in the process. The article by Cameron (2016) discussed Hurston’s views on religion. According to the source, Hurston’s works predominantly focused on African American religious beliefs during the slavery period. In her arguments, Hurston questioned Christian practices, such as ceremonies, death rites, and the idea that God is omnipotent and omnipresent (Cameron 2016). Hurston was not convinced with Christianity teachings, which made her abandon the church and join the Deist movement. Her greatest achievement was influencing Black feminism through thoughtful discussions, arguments, and analysis of gender and power struggles as presented by religion.
As a result of her work, some of the religious beliefs that were made popular in the African American community are agnosticism, secular humanism, and atheism. There was a significant re-alienation of religion among the African American community during post World War I (Cameron 2016). Furthermore, through interaction with different black culture she influenced secularism and free thought among Black intellectuals, which has shaped religion after World War II (Cameron 2016). Her insight gives the similarities and differences between traditional religion and modern day beliefs, especially contrasting regions such as the Caribbean and the U.S (Cameron 2016). Therefore, Zora Hurston analysis and criticism on early Christianity in the U.S played a significant role in defining African American religion.
Ella Deloria on Language and Culture
Language developments and changes are key aspects of Native Americans history. According to Murray (1974), Deloria was instrumental in telling the Lakota language and culture through her pro-women empowerment campaigns. She started by editing and translating linguistic works related to the Sioux people. Progressively, this was followed by her documenting, compiling and editing of traditional, social, and religious life of the Sioux people. Her research on the language dynamics of the Sioux people makes her a respected anthropologists who combined writing prowess and understanding of native cultures to advance key cultural ideologies (Murray 1974). For example, her knowledge of the American Indian cultures helped her pioneer key ethnology and anthropology developments among native scholar.
In addition to writing extensively about the Sioux persons, she still performed her duties as a traditional woman, Christian, and an integral member of her nuclear family. For instance, she took care of her parents and sisters, which is believed to have stalled her education advancements (Murray 1974). Deloria’s work inspired several scholars, language and religion writers in the US. Moreover, her involvement in native cultural events such as dance, helped in federal recognition of the Native American tribe. One of her standout language success is her dictionary on original native language words, which was disrupted by the quick adoption of English as the main language in Dakota (Murray 1974). Overall, Delloria played an important role in telling the Dakota native language, which shaped the future of native language in America. Up to her demise, she had published nine fiction and non-fiction works majoring on native Dakota languages.
Chilisa Begele and Gabo Ntseane on Gender
Gender roles and ideologies in African communities are an unending social debate. Chilisa and Gabo (2009) discuss extensive research on gender roles in the African society. Most of her works focused on challenging the universal belief of Wstern gender theory imposed on African women’s research studies. They argued that Western gender theory about African women is making them a victim of social constructs (Chilisa and Gabo 2009). Chilisa points out that religion and education have been used to promote negative hegemony in the African culture. This theme is common in her feminist-cantered works, which have significantly demystified gender roles in African society. The writer argues that the position of women in the African community ought not to be dictated by Western beliefs and what has been imposed through ideologies spread in books, films, and scholarly teachings.
One of their major theories is how research has been set to advance a given gender-biased analysis of women position in African cultures. They use the example of South Africa Bantu women, precisely in Botswana, position in explaining the challenge of Western religion on the African women context (Chilisa and Gabo 2009). Her input and analysis of how researchers have failed to show the true position of the African women in the community helps in creating awareness of how African feminism has been curtailed. Overall, her questioning of Western research methodologies impact on the view on African women position, is educative with respect to feminism and how true empowerment should be advocated. Her research has informed different scholarly ideologies that promote positive gender-roles analysis in Africa.
Haunani-Kay Trask on Violence
In the U.S., politics and creative arts have shaped social debates since the pre-independence period. Trask (2004) is a nationalist, poet, and political organizer from Hawaii who has written extensively about the 18th-century tribal war in California. In a journal article “The Color of Violence,” Trask (2004) argues that colonization was a process anchored on genocide policy. She questioned the impact of colonialism on population and culture, pointing out on massive murders as a way of gaining power the brutal way. In her research, she viewed colonialism as a systematic elimination of certain ethnic communities that should be continuously condemned as for committing genocide. Arguably, her comparison of colonialism and modern-day racism is the most significant contribution to critical analysis of racism.
Racism in the U.S. has been affected by historic social and cultural beliefs. Trask (2004) analyzed the history of ethnic-based violence in America to show how modern-day racism was shaped. Her contribution to violence analysis in America is significant in helping people understand the root of racism. She has given a new perspective to racial profiling and how it will take historical understanding to have meaningful impact in ending the social challenge (Trask 2004). Her works are used by nationalists to defend and rally their communities against historical oppression. It has been adopted by racial commentators and scholars to speak out against oppression and social injustice.
Janet Smylie and Michelle Firestone on Health
Canada has a strong indigenous community that faces several social problems such as healthcare. Smylie and Michelle (2015) discuss how they have written extensively on healthcare challenges facing indigenous communities in Canada. In their works, they talk about such issues as quality and equality among the indigenous communities. One of the ideas they are not in agreement with the government is how they report census data on healthcare among the indigenous communities (Smylie and Michelle 2015). In their arguments, they believe indigenous communities are under-reported by the government and mainstream media in Canada. They have authored and published several researches on the healthcare challenges facing by indigenous communities in Canada, suggesting to show how disfranchised the community is in Canada.
Healthcare equality, especially among indigenous communities in Canada is a challenge. The contribution among the indigenous community has been significant in promoting equality (Smylie and Michelle 2015). They have advocated for inclusivity in healthcare in Canada, contributing to such critical developments as setting up the Toronto Birth Centre (Smylie and Michelle 2015). Moreover, it has helped in increasing the level of funding for healthcare access among the indigenous communities. They have also recruited several indigenous healthcare workers to her team, promoting research on the same. Overall, Janet and Michelle have played an integral role in promoting social equality through healthcare among the indigenous community.
Conclusion
Hurston, Delloria, Chilisa, Ntseane, Trask, Smylie and Firestone are indigenous female writers that have researched and published different findings about their native communities. Their influence has been diverse, affecting ideologies such as religion, gender roles, violence, healthcare, and language. Through their research, they have positively influenced generations promoting freethinking, healthcare advocacy, ethnic equality, and gender equality. Moreover, they have shaped debates on social issues facing their respective communities.
References
Cameron, Christopher. 2016. “Zora Neale Hurston, Freethought, and African American Religion.” Journal of Africana Religions 4 (2): 236–244.
Chilisa, Bagele, and Gabo Ntseane. 2009. “Resisting Dominant Discourse: Implication of Indigenous, African Feminist Theory and Methods for Gender and Education Research.” Bitstream. Web.
Murray, Janette K. 1974. “Ella Deloria: A Biographical Sketch and Literary Analysis.” Education Commons. Web.
Smylie, Janet, and Michelle Firestone. 2015. “Back to the basics: Identifying and Addressing Underlying Challenges in Achieving High Quality and Relevant Health Statistics for Indigenous Populations in Canada.” Statistical Journal of the IAOS 31 (1): 67–87.
Trask, Haunani-Kay. 2004. “The Color of Violence.” Social Justice 4 (98): 8–16.