Women had played a very important act within Native tribes. They were more than just mothers of the tribes’ children are what they were. Roles consisted of builders, warriors, farmers, and also craftswomen (blankets and baskets). They strength they had was to keep the survival of the tribe. Black Hawk, born Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, was a war leader and warrior of the Sauk American Indian tribe in what is now the Midwest of the United States. As Black Hawk first states about a “good women” Asshewequa who shared his life and raised his children in the first few pages of the book (Kennedy, pg. xx) describes what the indigenous women in the native tribe’s responsibilities were. Women within the tribe cared for their children and husbands, just like the modern woman today do. Numerous men had to part from their family so native women had to keep their family together while the husband went to war. Other men within the tribe helped look after families whose husbands were away by providing them with food from what they had hunted or fished for (Hawk, Pg. 23). “No indiscretion can banish a woman from her parental lodge- no difference how many children she may bring home, she is always welcome...” (Hawk, Pg.48). Although native women had many roles, but raising and taking care of their family always came as a first …show more content…
Women played a prominent role in defending their land, homes, and economic livelihoods (http://www.lib.niu.edu/2003/iht1020302.html). Women had to warn not only their husband about danger approaching, but also others within the tribe. Black Hawks old women went to each lodge and warned the others in the tribe which caused them to turn out in pursuit (Hawk, Pg.30). By the women warning others within the tribe of trouble this kept them on their toes of another tribe trying to harm then unexpectedly. The men could not speak much about their women. They generally preform their path carefully, and never get in the way to business belonging to the men as Black Hawk states (Hawk, Pg.32). Black Hawk’s, wife taught his sons to be brave which a man’s role is. Due to the men consistently being gone the women had to take over that role of raising their sons. So the native women had to take on both her and some of her husband roles within taking care of the