GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S POWER IN AMERICAN INDIAN TRADITIONAL CULTURE IN ZITKALA-SA'S SHORT STORIES

Abstract

This article intends to reveal gender equality and women’s power in American Indian traditional culture before they were assimilated in white American society in the late nineteenth century as reflected in Zitkala-Sa’s short stories, Impressions of an Indian Childhood, The Soft Hearted Sioux and A Warrior Daughter. This study is a qualitative research that applies feminist literary approach which uses liberal feminist theory for the data analysis. This study shows that American Indian women enjoyed gender equality in traditional American Indian culture that had complementary gender relation. American Indian women had power and equal rights to be warriors and leaders in their society.

Keywords

• gender role
• American Indian women