Mary Two-Axe Earley

Mary Two-Axe Earley was a Mohawk woman from the reserve of Kahnawake, Quebec. She worked as an indigenous women's rights activist against the gender discrimination that lost indigenous women "status" under the Indian Act. Her work eventually lead to the passing of Bill C-31 in 1985, an amendment to the Indian Act to correct gender discrimination.^[1] Mary was a powerful speaker at several conferences, commissions and hearings worldwide in her pursuit of justice, basic human rights, and the equality of women before the law. Mary was a Clan Mother who valued the traditions and welfare of Aboriginal communities before anything else.^[1]

Early life

Mary Two-Axe was born on the Mohawk reserve of Kahnawake, formerly known as Caughnawaga, to an Oneida mother. Her mother was a nurse and teacher. Mary spent most of her early life on the reserve, but at age 10 she was in North Dakota with her mother who was teaching at a school there. Mary's mother died due to Spanish Influenza while caring for students who also succumbed to the illness, her grandfather had to travel to North Dakota to bring her back to her home reserve.^[2] When Mary was 18 she had decided, like many Mohawks, to move to New York City. While she was working and living there she had met an Irish-American electrical engineer named Edward Earley, they had two children: Edward and Rosemary.^[2]

Activism

After Mary had married a non-status man she lost her status under the Indian Act.^[1] Losing her status rights meant that Mary could no longer live on the reserve where she was born, own land there, participate in the band’s political life, vote in its elections, or be buried on the reserve. She had inherited a family home that she no longer was able to own, but was able to keep her home because her daughter had married a Mohawk man from the reserve. Mary had described herself as a "guest in her own home"^[2] The council of Kahnawake tried to have her removed, so she began to lobby for changes to the Act. Mary's call for justice captured the attention of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1968.^[3] This then led to a Commission recommendation in 1970 to amend the Indian Act in its treatment of women (because men who married non-status women got to keep their full status and pass it on to their children).^[1] Also in 1968, Mary had created the "Equal Rights for Native Women" association to advocate for gender equality under the Indian Act, this organization went on to help form The Indian Rights for Native Women Association.^[4]

On June 28, 1985, about 20 years after Mary began her activism, the Federal Government of Canada passed Bill C-31, which amended the Indian Act and brought it into accord with the equality provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Bill C-31 removed the long-standing gender discrimination policy endured by First Nations women by restoring Indian status and membership rights to the thousands of women who had married non-Indians/non-status persons.^[2] Mary was the first woman to have her status reinstated by then, Indian Affairs Minister, David Crombie.^[1]

Conflict with Kahnawake

In 1975, Mary was attending an International Women’s Year conference in Mexico. She learned that the Kahnawake band council had used the Indian Act to evict her while she was away. She had received a phone call from her daughter who told her that the reserve served her an eviction notice and that she had 60 days to leave. Mary then used the conference to tell the world about her plight, this gave her cause a storm of national and international publicity, and the eviction notice served by Kahnawake was eventually withdrawn.^[2]

Awards and special recognition

Mary was awarded a Governor General’s Award, an Honorary Doctorate of Law from York University, and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award for her work and activism to establish Bill C-31 and her commitment to the rights of women across the globe.^[1]

References