Martha Garcia and Paula Gunn Allen both write in their essays about the challenges Native American women have historically faced and continue to face to this day. The primary contributors to these challenges are the stereotypes and misconceptions of white anthropologists and missionaries who studied Native American tribes and found women submissive and passive. Both of these authors strongly disagree with this characterization of Native American women and instead describe them as important and honored members of their tribes who will struggle but continue to have a huge impact on their tribes' future. Garcia's research focuses on previously published work on Cheyenne women by white men and re-examines these studies through a female perspective. As these white men migrated west, they recorded their observations. Unfortunately their relationships were imperfect and partial because white men's access was limited due to their outsider status and their gender. These early observations reported that Native American women performed menial labor for the tribe, such as picking berries. Garcia notes that what these men didn't realize or understand was the rich community life these women shared while berry picking. These men were also unaware of culturally valued norms of female behavior such as modesty, kindness, and reserve, leading them to view these women as passive and submissive. Cheyenne women simply possessed the natural tribal values ​​encouraged for women. Looking at the accounts through a female lens, Garcia found that Cheyenne women have historically held an extremely important role within their culture, especially in their religious ceremonies. Cheyenne with...... middle of paper......thirsty savages. These men are fulfilling the white man's vision of the wild Indian by abusing women. To stop the abuse, Garcia believes these popular culture stereotypes need to be addressed and changed. If media, literary, and artistic images are not changed to accurately reflect the lives of Native Americans, the violence will continue. Martha Garcia and Paula Gunn Allen both write about the historical challenges that Native American women have faced and continue to face today. They describe these women as honorable, courageous, and proud members of a culture who are integral members of their people's past and future. By bringing awareness to misreports and stereotypical characterizations of the Native American population, these two women shed light on the importance of women to the survival of Native American culture..