Indigenous women, feminism, and a theory of resistance White feminists, coming from a relatively privileged position, do not reflect the experiences of indigenous women. While the feminist movement developed in response to gender oppression and inequality, indigenous women have historically played a prominent role in resistance and continue to provide leadership to their communities. Indigenous women generally reject feminist views. The problems confronting indigenous women are related to white supremacy and colonialism. Reverse discourse meets with little success, as has already been stated, because it attempts to work within the colonial framework.
Cultural forms inhibit the resistance process.
Cultural nationalism is an element of the reverse discourse and change is restricted because race, class, and gender issues are overlooked. Patriarchal positioning and power are retained in the western discourse. This is the key component of a theoretical and philosophical view of resistance. A theory of resistance can be constructed on the acknowledgment of the mechanisms and systems of beliefs that ensure relationships of domination and submission and a reflection of how race, gender, and class are shaped. It involves the study of the constructed images of East and West and the essentialist notion of the self.