Sisters in Spirit: Iroquois Influence on Early American Feminists

Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) women fired the revolutionary vision of early feminists by providing a model of freedom for women at a time when EuroAmerican women experienced few rights. Women of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy enjoyed decisive political power, control of their bodies, control of their own property, custody of the children they bore, the power to intiiate divorce, satisfying work, and a society generally free of rape and domestic violence. The author recounts the compelling struggle for freedom and equality waged by women in the U.S. and documents the inspiration and influence Native American women gave to this dynamic social movement.