Native American Women

The American concept of a women’s duty was vastly different from the Native Americans’ who occupied the land. The colonies saw women as housekeepers, not house owners. Their duty was to stay home and take care of the property. Natives, however, saw their women as leaders. They operated in a matriarchal society, polar opposite of the patriarchal society of the colonies. This difference was one that could not be overlooked, resulting in a bias in the lean of native’s loyalties. The focus of this page is Molly Brant, daughter of a Mohawk chief and brother of another. Brant offers brilliant insight into how loyalty was decided in native groups. She was the wife of William Johnson, the British Crown’s northern superintendent of Indian affairs, so understand she made more bias than others when deciding her loyalty. Her unwavering loyalty would eventually lead to the the split of the Iroquois Six Nations, but through it all she continued to remain respected by both sides. That is, until she began revealing information on rebel movements. This would lead to her belongings being burnt and destroyed while she was on the run. Eventually, she would find safety behind British lines, where she continued to rule over her tribe. Although Brant sided with the Crown, she advocated for peace through it all.

During this time, Native American women were placed in a bind of whether or not participating in the war would be beneficial. Many women, like Molly Brant, utilized their circumstances to, in hopes, bring relief to them and their families. Due to such unprecedented circumstances, Native American women became caretakers, negotiators, trying to create a middle ground between Colonists and Natives.