Drawing on the testimony of fourteen Elders from the Canadian Prairies and Ontario, this work explores the life cycle of Métis, Cree, and Anishinaabe women in the mid-twentieth century. Anderson centres the voices of women who recount their own experiences and those of their communities, offering insight into the customs, responsibilities, and relationships that shaped female identity from infancy through old age.
The narrative moves through successive stages of life—birth and early childhood, puberty, adulthood, motherhood, and the years beyond menopause—examining practices surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, child-rearing, rites of passage, gendered divisions of labour, and women’s roles in mourning and the care of the dead. Particular attention is given to the authority and influence of senior women, and to the ways knowledge was transmitted across generations.
At its heart, the book considers storytelling as a form of cultural medicine. By recovering and reaffirming traditional teachings, Anderson presents memory as a tool of renewal, arguing that an understanding of women’s historic roles is essential to the restoration of community health and continuity in Indigenous societies.
Notes adapted from the publisher's information.
