This introduction to the fundamentals of Native American womens studies first looks at several definitive topics created by the western cultural notion of feminism and western historical and religious perspectives on women. These include ecofeminism gender roles and work notions of power essentialism womens leadership sexualities and spirituality in light of gender. The book then discusses these concepts and their history from a traditional Native American point of view. Foremost among the questions that Native American Womens Studies addresses are How have Native American women governed their nations How wasis the divine creatrix expressed in Native American social systems Most significantly this book sheds light on the radical differences between the indigenous understanding of human experience in terms of gender and that held and created by western culture.