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Stumbling Toward Truth

Mississippi Choctaw Women

Beyond Domesticity

The Roles of Choctaw Women
The gender roles in the Choctaw society were distinct between each sex. Men had designated roles, as well as, women. The Choctaw people supported a matrilineal society, as the owners, women’s roles in the house and fields were reinforced. Neither role of men nor women was seen superior to the other. Despite misconceptions later on, Choctaw women had a voice in council meetings and were respected by other members of the tribe. Before, European settlers arrived, the traditional roles of Choctaw women included; cooking, basket weaving, pottery molding, child care, processing animal hides, sewing blankets and clothing, and were the primary farmers of the tribe. (PH) Straying from their typically duties, some Choctaw women would accompany men on hunts as well. Upon the arrival of European settlers, the Choctaw people experienced change for years to come. Patricia Hilden and Michelene Pesantubbee explain, “The Europeans misunderstood women's roles, and the depredations of invasion and conquest altered the behavior of both women and men, resulting in a gradual diminishment of women's status.” Overtime, Choctaw women’s traditions and duties began to mirror the roles of their Euro-American counterparts. However, the Choctaw women stayed true to their customs and used their talents as way to develop opportunities for themselves in the new world they were being pushed to be a part of. Choctaw women used their basket weaving and pottery molding to make money, as well as, farmed the cotton fields. Closer to the twentieth century, new technological advancements developed and the Choctaw women were forced to evolve certain traditional roles they were used to. Overall, the Choctaw women kept their tribal identities through their roles inside the home.