Changing Ones Ch. 4

The reality of Native womens lives were obscured by European men, who sterotyped native women as being "drudges" or "desexualized Indian princesses". Europeans also described native women in a way that would fit them into Anglo society. Many native women had more personal freedom than their female European counterparts. Native women often engaged in battle, war parties and raids, and hunting parties. Since Europeans believed women should fit into a specific role. The diversity of Native women in their society probably threatened Europeans because they were not defined in such a "fixed" ideal.

1. European men knew nothing of native/indigenous women or their culture and way of life. They looked in from the outside(still not understanding native people) and made judgements based how they thought native women "should" be. Also; the judgements/stereotypes may have justified(in their minds) pushing native people off their land and other terrible treatment of native women(rape, sexual mutilation).