I am unaware if Eric Evans’ letter was “misogynistic” or not, but Rich Scharf should be careful about labelling those he disagrees with as “ignorant.”

Especially if he’s going to get his history incorrect.

Not surprisingly, history is frequently and incessantly used as a tool for political purposes.

Knowingly or not, Mr. Scharf succumbs to this impulse by oversimplifying the role of women in the League of the Iroquois: “The Iroquois nations were governed by the women … They lasted quite awhile.”

Many Native American societies were matrilineal and had elder women who made important decisions such as dismissing male chiefs.

However, to state that the Iroquois were “governed by women” imposes modern-day feminist notions on people who lived centuries ago.

No amount of wishful thinking can make Iroquois women into matriarchs or Amazons ruling over their society.

Such statements as Mr. Scharf’s oversimplify and grossly distort a much more complex historical reality.

Robinson Yost

Alumna

Ames