Maternal Strength

“In the Navajo world, a young person grows up knowing that women are quite capable of being in charge. I grew up seeing their strength manifest itself in many ways. I grew up knowing my mother who divorced my father several years before would drive us through the 30 miles of muddy reservation road to get groceries. I never doubted that she would get us through the dizzying snowstorm that fell on the deserted dirt road alone with my brothers and me in the back seat. It meant knowing that when we needed financial help, we could go to one of our female relatives. It meant seeing my aunt put on her old cowboy boots and saddle up her horse to drive in the cattle that we later branded and vaccinated according to her instructions. The men in our family understood this, and we all worked together to get the work done—no resentment, no insecurity about male roles. The livestock mostly belonged to her, so it was only fair that she was responsible for their care. Years later this responsibility went to her fourth daughter, who, at branding time, called out her instructions to us just as her mother had done.”

—excerpt from “There is No Word for Feminism” by Laura Tohe—Laura Tohe