Resilience of Aboriginal women

So I entered a poetry contest recently, the first time I have ever done so. That last statement would sound hard to believe if you knew me and my affinity for the written word (and writing said written word). I’ve always written stuff.
I’ve written lyrics, short stories, long stories and bad eight grade poetry (my favourite kind of poetry because there are no words as emotional, self-centered, and self-loathing as that of a 13-year-old girl).
When I think about my life as a story-teller, I remember writing a short story about vampires when I was no older than nine or 10 years old. I made a family friend read it. I am not sure if she was impressed, but I remember her being quite confused. Anyway, I was a vampire-fiction writer before all of these Stephenie Meyer-inspired vampire-fiction writers were – the ones who are getting all the book deals to write about horrible role-models for young girls. The only difference between their stories and my story was that the vampire died in the end, he didn’t run off with the lead character.
I’ll just stop myself there before I stray too far off topic. I submitted a poem on the subject of violence against women to a contest held by the Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA). ONWA is a non-profit organization founded in 1972. Its purpose is to “empower and support Aboriginal women and their families throughout Ontario,” according to their website. They cherish all Anishinaabe ancestry and strive to support the women of various tribes in Ontario.
The poetry contest was in its third year and after hearing about it, I decided I would enter.
The poem had to be about violence against women from an Anishinaabe perspective. Now do not get too excited, I will let you know that I did not win.
But to learn of my poem’s fate, I went to an open mic night hosted by ONWA Nov. 25 at The Learning Cafe in Thunder Bay. I also had a charming one-year-old in a stroller to tote along with me while I attended the open mic night. He was my noisy reason for leaving early, so I didn’t catch the name of the winner, but the poem was titled Broken.
I have to admit I was a little disappointed that my poem, Seven Different Ways, was not the winner. There weren’t any runner-up spots but I can’t use that as an excuse as to why my entry didn’t prevail over everyone else’s, including Broken. The writer of Broken wrote what ONWA wanted. She just touched the subject better than I did.
The subject of violence against women had once been taboo. When a person heard his neighbor assaulting his wife next door, he did not call the cops nor did he intervene. When a woman showed up with a black eye and bruised in public, it was best to ignore it. Domestic abuse was something families just had to deal with and in the aftermath of European contact Anishinaabe families were no different. Prior to European contact, the Anishinaabe woman’s role in the family was a vital one. She was considered equal to her male counterparts; she took care of the household and raised the children with love and understanding. Children were not beaten as a form of punishment by their parents and neither were the women.
It is so much different these days. After much hardship, Anishinaabe women now have the rights and the freedom to live a peaceful life. There are agencies out there to help a troubled woman escape an abusive relationship, agencies like ONWA.
There are different forms of abuse and it is important to be aware of them. A woman may not look like she has been assaulted physically but she could still suffer from psychological abuse - which is also referred to as emotional abuse. The movies Once Were Warriors and Reviving Ophelia shine a lot of light on the subject of violence against women as well as emotional abuse.
ONWA’s annual poetry contest serves as an outlet for the troubled woman because it allows both her voice and her pain to be heard. The contest lets her know that there are people out there who are in the same boat. There are organizations that will help an abused woman as much as they can because it is their common goal to see the Anishinaabe woman and her children thrive.
As I flipped through the book of last year’s submissions I recognized a lot of names, names of women who I would never have thought had to endure such adversities like the ones described in their poems. I am thankful that these women are still alive and well today.
I am also thankful that ONWA gave me a chance at winning something - like the $100 Chapters gift card that was the prize for their poetry contest. That card would have paid for a lot of Christmas presents had I won. Or at least more vampire novels to make fun of.
Resources for women in abusive relationships:www.beendigen.comwww.onwa-tbay.ca