In traditional Aboriginal cultures, women and men did not have the same jobs or responsibilities. In general, women took care of cultivating the land, educating the children, and transforming hunting products into food, objects and clothing. Men hunted, fished, and made weapons and shelters. They were also responsible for the group’s relationships with other communities.
With the Indian Act of 1876, the status of women changed. Women who married a non-Aboriginal person were no longer allowed to live on the reserve; they and their children lost their Aboriginal status, thus losing contact with their culture.
As for men, the creation of reserves deprived them of the right to choose where their families could live. The Indian Act also diminished the right of communities to make choices for their future: in many ways, Aboriginal people were treated like children and the government made decisions for them.