Ecofeminism

1. Ecofeminism Chapter Two: Ecofeminism Through an Anti-colonial framework

2. Ecofeminism challenges all forms of domination, feminism struggles to liberate women of color, working woman, poor women, disabled, and others including domination of nature • Ecofeminism is against domination of sex, race, class, and nature • Oppression of women and of Earth: • Oppression may take different avenue to different groups but all are oppressions • For Native American women, sexism oppression seems secondary to colonial oppression • To Native Indian women, they feel that they are oppressed as colonized people and not until their rights are addressed, nothing else can be accomplished • The reason native women feel this way is because to them prior to white people came here, native woman did not experience this kind of oppression Indian societies were not male dominated societies • I

3. Native woman served as spiritual leaders, political and military leaders • Many communities are matrilineal societies • Violence against women were not heard of • Women’s labor and men's labor were accorded same status • Native woman were never subordinate to men • Native people believed in (balance in all things) • Colonization of native lands resulted in having native lands to become the most environmental destruction that take place in America • 60% of energy production are in Indian land

4. 100% of Uranium Mining are located near Indian land, hence, they have the highest rate of radiation poisoning, birth defects, cancer, and miscarriages • Companies which use reservations as dumpsites do not have to meet the same EPA standards • Nuclear testing are conducted within alarming proximity of native communities as well as nuclear wastes • Oil drilling in Alaska will destroy Native people livelihood • Planned Parenthood indicates population control for Native people • White feminists can see how they have been oppressed by men, hence, they need to emphasize with Native oppression • Betsy Hartman pints out concerning population issues: dominant economic systems which squander natural and human resources for short term profits and the displacement of peasant farmers and indigenous people by agri-business, timber, mining, and energy corporates

5. Ignored also is the role of International Lending institutions, war and arm production, and the wasteful consumption patterns of industrialized countries in creating and exasperating environmental destruction • Land formally supported local subsistence economy has been appropriated by corporates to produce export-crops for the First World, rather than crops to feed local people • Consequently, local people found themselves more and more depend on imports • Importing goods much more costly than export crops • To maintain systems of economic inequality, dominant powers support corrupt regimes to crush uprisings

6. USA constitutes 4% of world population and consumes 30% of its resources • American people are expending most of the world energy resources prior to India and China economic growth • Women of color are constantly subjected to unsafe drug testing for birth control and sterilization • Throughout the Third World women were subjected and administered to, these methods of sterilization drugs without prior education or ever told about all side effects • Ecofeminists look to Native Spirituality to help connet them with the Earth • Only be becoming unconditional, faithful allies with native people and their struggle against oppression will non Native people ever understand about Native Spirituality • Read poem by Christos' “Shame On” p.32