Section 2: Getting Started - Cultural Context: The History of Aboriginal Women in Canada [Native Women's Association of Canada, NWAC]

"Today women are reasserting themselves. Much of the power women once held in their communities has been lost. While the residential schools are closed and the Indian Act amended, there are still many lingering effects of assimilationist policies. But there is hope. Women are regaining their roles as caretakers, leaders, and nurturers of their communities; they can find their voices once again. It is the aim of this Toolkit to empower Aboriginal women to have a voice in environmental decision-making that affect their communities now and for the next seven generations."