International Journal of History

By analyzing the profound consequences of cultural exchanges between Native Americans and European settlers in North America's Eastern Woodlands region, this study focuses on the formation of Native American women's identities, roles, and communities. The research examines the quick changes that occurred both before and after the arrival of European settlers in the late 15th century, as well as the intricate interweaving of Native American civilizations. By comparing the traditional roles, responsibilities, and social structures of Native American women with those of European women, this study sheds light on the complex interactions that arise from cultural variety.

Before European settlers came, Native American women had significant roles in the Eastern Woodlands region's cultures. They administered clan and kinship structures, participated in agricultural production, and played important roles in spiritual and medicinal rituals. Their civilization was characterized by matrilineal descent systems, in which kinship and inheritance were traced through the female line. When European settlers arrived and confronted Native American traditions with new technology, religious teachings, and social structures, these established customs were upended.

In order to adapt to the shifting environment, Native American women used a variety of strategies to engage in trade, diplomacy, and cross-cultural interactions. It examines the perseverance of Native American women in overcoming challenges such being forced off their land, epidemics, and missionary endeavors while negotiating the complexities of European colonialism. Their experiences are contrasted with those of European women, who brought with them their own distinctive social mores, beliefs, and practices to the New World. In navigating a rapidly changing cultural milieu, it emphasizes the Native American women's steadfast tenacity. It also examines how cultural traditions were blended, how indigenous knowledge was preserved, and how Native American women created new identities throughout the post-contact era. This study uses the Eastern Woodlands as a microcosm of the larger Native American experience to better comprehend the cultural diversity, adaptation, and persistence of indigenous women before and after the arrival of European settlers.