Barriers Faced By Native Women in Business

I think that just being a woman is going to make any venture that is male dominated a challenge. Now throw being an Aboriginal into the mix, and the pods are stacked against you. There are many great women in Canadian history. Even fewer great Aboriginal Canadian Women. One great Aboriginal woman that stands strong in my mind is Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavell. Originally when I was introduced to her my interest was sparked by the fact that her second giving name was the same as my mother first given name. After her mane grabbed my undivided attention, I realized just how great her accomplishments were. I believe that politics and the business world are so closely related that, if you can lead a political party, I also believe you can run a business. It takes them same type of person, a leader. Although being one of the founding members of an association my not be 100 percent entrepreneurial, it is in a sense the as same running an organization of some sort.

Jeannette Vivian Corbiere Lavelll was not only elected as president of the Nishnawbe Institute (an organization promoting Native Culture) and the Anduhyan Inc. (a residence for native women in Toronto.), she was an education/ employment counselor, a consultant to the community for the Ontario Government, but she was also one of the founding members of the Ontario Native Women’s Association. Vice Chairwoman 1972-1973 & President 1974-1975.

She was the first women to challenge the Indian act on the basis of discrimination by reason of sex. Meaning, if a Native woman married a white man she and her children did not have Native status. In 1971 Jeannette Lavell lost in the county courts, but she did not give up. On October 9th 1971 the Lavell case went in front of the Federal Court of Appeal- to which the case was ruled unanimously for Lavell. However, the fight wasn’t over. The Federal Government and also Native organizations, the decision was appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Lavell lost, with a decision of 5-4, stating that the Bill of Rights did not apply to that section of the Indianan Act. Later Sandra Lovelace went on to follow in her foot steps, bring the case of status removal to the United Nations International Humans Rights Commission, which ruled in her favor. In 1985 section 12 of the Indian Act was repealed, and Native women who lost their status and right by marrying a white man, had reclaimed their rights.

To be a Native woman can be trying in itself, being a Native Business woman can be even more humbling. Being a successful Aboriginal business women means to work tirelessly towards change, equality, and justice. These are challenges faced in the work force everyday and even more so when you belong to a minority group.
I also know of another woman, a non Aboriginal, who had dedicated to starting he won business because she had capped out on pay wages within a company twice. However, she was superior to others within the company. She was receiving less pay, simply because she was a woman! Twice she left a business for this reason- can you believe it?
As women who are active in the business world, it is important to remember that change can be made, if not by you, and then at least a seed can be sowed. It is a man’s world out there and it seems at times as women we have to somewhat prove that we deserve to be doing whatever it is in our lives we are destined to do.