Indigenous women have listened to the stories of their grandmothers and aunties, and in the process of reclaiming their space, are sharing those stories in an effort “to support the well being of the community” (Maracle, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 73). “The process of colonization [created] divisions that undermine the power of the circle and cause women to distance themselves from one another” (Maracle, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 79), but Indigenous women are resisting. They are creating “community support networks – going to visit other elderly women in the community” (Muise, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 34) and in the process of resistance “have reclaimed their authority and rightful place in the community” (Muise, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 35).
“Aboriginal women are the first to wake up to the process [of healing]… and the first to take up their responsibilities” (Maracle, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 71).
Sylvia Maracle (in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003) says “I have witnessed tremendous community development over the past 35 years, and much of it has been led by women” (Maracle, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 70). Women, in some cases forced to leave their place on the reserve behind, “have moved to urban centres, with their identities intact” (Maracle, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 71). In the cities they shared their homes and wisdom, just as their grandmothers had done since long before the settlers arrived. Sharing, a form of reclaiming their culture, has led to the development of friendship centres, “social planning bodies, [and] social justice centres” (Maracle, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 72).
On reserves “men were the leaders in the formal sense,” (Maracle, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 73) but women were the natural leaders who promoted vision and action. When women came back to the reserve they knew that in order to “reclaim [their] sovereignty and take responsibility for this land… the women [of the reserve] would have to be convinced” (Muise, in Anderson & Lawrence, 2003, p. 33).
SW354: Indigenous Women and Decolonization Project 
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