"To Pray for Ourselves": Women in Christian Indian Communities in Mexico and the United States, 1750 - 1870
In the mid-eighteenth century, indigenous peoples across the Americas developed a new strategy in response to colonialism: the creation of self-governed "Christian Indian" communities. Women were essential members of these communities, shaping the ethnic and religious boundaries of the group, working to ensure communal financial stability, and holding leadership positions. This paper compares and contrasts native women's actions in places like Oaxaca, Mexico City, Brothertown, and Stockbridge in order to highlight their creative approaches to survivance. Moreover, it demonstrates the ways that they leveraged their dual identities – as both Christian and indigenous – to advocate for themselves and their families.