Date of this Version
6-2024
Document Type
Presentation
Abstract
This presentation will discuss how women from the Aymara culture in Bolivia and the Akwesasne Mohawk culture in New York, United States have used sports to strengthen their identity.
The Cholitas Luchadoras (women wrestlers) in Bolivia have used performance wrestling to draw attention to the Aymaran identity in a desire to shift global assumptions about indigenous women as traditional, backward, and/or dangerous.
Lacrosse has been an instrument for the Akwesasne Mohawk women to strengthen their identity through a resurgence of traditionalism combined with modernism leading to equal opportunity through sport.
The paper will draw parallels between the two cultures with a brief overview of each. It will discuss the geography, language, history, and traditions of the Akwesasne and the Aymara. It will provide an overview of wrestling and lacrosse and their origins before detailing how the two sports transformed gender stereotypes leading to great equality. It will show how modern day activities encased in tradition have empowered women through dress, film, and education.
Recommended Citation
Hammill, S.J. (2024, June). Aymara & Akwesasne: An Exploration of Gender Identity through Sports. Native American Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), Bodø, Norway