Mary Two-Axe Earley Google Doodle Honour
Written by Jeremy Zafran on 28 June 2021
When you opened up Google this morning on your computer, tablet or smartphone, you might have noticed that today’s doodle pays tribute to a Kahnawakero:non, Mary Two-Axe Earley, whose efforts made massive headway for Indigenous women’s rights in Canada, is featured. The Google doodles are made daily to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries and honour the lives of famous people. Today marks 36 years since Bill C-31 received royal assent, amending the Indian Act to allow a process of reinstatement for Two-Axe Earley and thousands of other First Nations women and their children who had lost their status due to longstanding gender-based discrimination within the act. Courtney Montour a filmmaker from Kahnawake, on Mary Two-Axe’s recognition:
“It’s so incredible to see Mary Two-Axe Early being recognized in this way across Canada. You know the Google doodles, everyone sees them , so it just brings so much awareness to her legacy.”
Montour says that education should bring the trailblazers accomplishments to light:
“So important and timely that Mary’s receiving recognition right now because of the issue of sex discrimination and sex inequality in the Indian Act (that) still exists. And it’s so important when the government, this past month, released the national action plan on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, so it’s incredibly relevant for this honouring to be happening now.”
Prior to 1985 Indian status was passed down almost exclusively through men. Meaning women with Indian status who married a non-status man lost their status, and their children were denied status. The Google Canada Doodle is a collaboration by Kanien’kehá:ka artists Star Horn and Courtney Montour Earley, the subject of Montour’s National Film Board of Canada short documentary Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again. Even thought the google disappears it’s easily accessible in perpetuity.
