Be sure to read Part 1 before working on this unit. See these other units for more issues related to menopause:

Unit 6 — Women and Sexual Health
Unit 7 — Men and Sexual Health
Unit 11 — The Residential School Experience
Unit 12 — Grandparents
Unit 18 — Reproductive Cancers

Introduction

Physically and medically, menopause is defined as the time when our moon cycles end; we no longer menstruate or have our period ... In contrast, native culture as seen from the traditional teachings, views aging and menopause as a time of renewal and wisdom, sharing through the grace of grand parenting ... not just your own kin, but the youth of the nation. For women, it was seen as a state when our duties of birthing and mothering could be exchanged for a clearer focus on our own gifts including more intense spiritual work however this was done.¹ (click here for footnote)


While not nearly as positive as in traditional times, attitudes toward and experiences of menopause have changed a great deal in the last decades. Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women are reclaiming the best aspects of this important time in our lives. The information and health care we receive is improving and people are talking more openly about what was once a taboo topic. Women are using herbal, traditional and prescription medicines to ease some of the less pleasant physical symptoms of menopause. Nowadays, women have more options to pursue other aspects of our lives as we age.

Still, there are many First Nations, Inuit and Métis women who may have severe physical problems related to menopause, who see this time as one of loss and sadness and who do not have access to supportive and knowledgeable health care providers. Family and friends, partners and health care providers can do much to support all women on our journey into the Grandmother years, and ensure we have the respect and honour we deserve.

A recognition of the earth cycles in relation to female cycles can also help women who are ending their menstruation. Maria Campbell’s (Métis author of Halfbreed) reclamation of traditional understandings about the moon has helped her through menopause. Aligning herself with nature has allowed her to understand more about her own body. As Campbell says in A Recognition of Being: Reconstructing Native Womanhood, this is an understanding she had to reclaim:

Menopause is a natural process that women go through as the child-bearing years come to an end and the ovaries stop releasing eggs every month. The hormones estrogen and progesterone, which prepare the uterus for pregnancy each month, decrease considerably, although small amounts of estrogen may be produced. In the medical sense, menopause is complete when you have not had a period for 12 months. Women with Type 1 diabetes may experience menopause earlier. Perimenopause, which means the period leading up to menopause, usually happens slowly over many years. Menopause affects how women feel physically and emotionally. Because every woman is unique, her menopause does not start at the same time or affect her the same way as everyone else.

Menopause is part of a woman’s natural process of aging. It marks the end of fertility and therefore freedom from the fear of pregnancy and usually the responsibilities of child rearing. However, many women in mid-life care for young grandchildren and are actively involved in family and community life.

Some women experience more intense grief and sadness as they go through menopause. They find themselves reliving the pain of residential school experiences, feeling sadness and regret about broken relationships, and despair concerning their families and communities. Many women also report coming to terms with these feelings and experiences in new ways, sometimes becoming more spiritual and connected to others, and finding ways to channel their anger in new directions.

Some women benefit from joining a support group or talking with friends.

The healing circle helped me ... Because I was having a problem with my daughter and I was feeling really hurt inside, and it kind of helped to talk about it and realize that I wasn’t alone in this world ... and realizing that the other women understood, that they’ve been through it and all that, and they offered encouragement ... After I left the group, I didn’t have this ache in my heart that I had when I went there that morning. It just kind of made it a little easier for me.3 (click here for footnote)

It is important to take care of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health as we age and our bodies naturally change. All women going through menopause and perimenopause will benefit from good nutrition, regular physical exercise and stopping smoking.

While it is a natural process, the decline in estrogen levels associated with menopause can speed up the development of diseases such as cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and osteoporosis (thinning, fragile bones). Hormonal changes during menopause can affect women with diabetes by causing blood glucose levels to vary more. For many women with diabetes, this means blood sugar levels need to be tested more frequently and diet or insulin intake adjusted.