A bold challenge to patriarchal ideology and a defense of Indigenous radical feminism.
In Not Sacred, Not Squaws, Cherry Smiley analyzes colonization and proposes a decolonized feminism enlivened by Indigenous feminist theory. Building on the work of grassroots radical feminist theorists, Smiley outlines a female-centered theory of colonization and describes the landscape in which male violence against Indigenous women in Canada and New Zealand is the norm. She calls out 'sex work' as a patriarchal colonizing practice and a form of male violence against women.
Questioning her own uncritical acceptance of male-centered Indigenous theorizing, Smiley examines the roles of culture and tradition in the oppression of Indigenous women and constructs an alternative decolonizing feminist methodology. This insightful is for feminist scholars, Indigenous women, activists, and students of gender studies seeking a refreshing and contemporary challenge to patriarchal ideology.