Strong Women Stories: Chapter 2

This chapter is about Laura Schwager and her personal search for her Native identity. The key points of her story emphasize the way the Canadian government used forced assimilation to try and exterminate the native communities. She also shows how personal strength and a strong heart can help over come this oppression and how an individual can regain their heritage even without the recognition of the government. After her great grandmother lost her Indian status by marrying a non-native man, she did not celebrate her heritage and pass it on to her children. Therefore Laura’s grandfather grew up in a house hold that denied his mother’s culture and was ‘ashamed’ of their maternal lineage. Her father was raised in a similar environment. One thing that I thought was particularly interesting was the support of the non-native women in her family who encouraged her to explore her culture. Also, her grandmother supported her grandfather and helped him regain his Indian status. Another interesting fact that I learned from this reading is that even after her grandfather regained his status, he could not pass it on to his children, and though this, his grandchildren. By denying him, and other natives who have regained status, this right the Canadian government is further oppressing and assimilating these people.

Anderson, Kim, and Bonita Lawrence, eds. Strong Women Stories : Native Vision and Activism. New York: Sumach P, 2004. 37-54.