North Country Women’s History

Bringing together women from communes and the broader community for consciousness-raising and addressing immediate concerns such as domestic violence and reproductive rights, created the North Country Women: a group of women communicating their struggles with their own identities within feminism. The intentional group grew organically through word of mouth within the North Country as many women resonated with the societal pressures and unequal standards of being a woman in a rural community.

North Country Women: Past and Present

Inspired to move to the North Country due to the Back to the Land Movement during the 1960’s and 70’s and inspired from the the Second Wave of feminism during the same period, rural feminism grew through conversations of consciousness as individuals cultivated a sense of understanding of themselves. These conversations were primarily held at farms and communes, places where members shared a collective goal or identity, in the case of the North Country, returning to the land and making a living from it, as opposed to urban life. Big Dog, a local farm in the 80’s, and Birdsfoot, a farm that is still alive today in Canton, NY are some of these farms and communes which created an environment for members, and especially women to voice their opinions as well as speak up against gender norms and societal expectations placed upon women.

These communities created a safe space for like-minded individuals to share and allowed for the expansion of activism as women began speaking up against gender norms on the farm, at the local market or town meeting, and within the North Country community. Boosted by the Back to the Land Movement, women wanted to break away from the stereotypes that bound them to a certain lifestyle. Together these women, known more collectively as the North Country Women, created a name for themselves to help inspire and uplift each other and other women.

Political and Social Activism

The North Country women were involved in an array of activities during their time, and among those were the 765 Kv power line protests, WomanSchool, and annual women’s festival.

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“We would take a topic, like women in farming, and it always came back to the personal, and the personal being so political.”

Valerie Summer

Interview from April 2020

Women’s Shelter

The North Country Women also saw the need to provide support for women in their community who needed shelter so as such, in 1976, the North Country Women’s Center was opened.

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Through the communal communities in the North Country, women were brought together by consciousness-raising conversations addressing immediate concerns such as domestic violence, reproductive health and rights, sexuality, and women’s rights. National issues such as the war in Vietnam and civil rights were also part of the discussions that fed decisions to make a change. The intentional group grew through word of mouth within the North Country as many women resonated with the societal pressures and unequal standards of being a woman in a rural community. Together these women joined collectively to support one another in pushing against a gendered society and rights for women, creating the North Country Women.

Black and white group photo of the North Country Women. — Group Photo of the North Country Women. Source: *Women Together,* MS. 180, Series 3, Folder 26, St. Lawrence University Special Collections.

Today there is much to read about these women and community members within the university archives at St. Lawrence University thanks to generous donations of original material. If one wishes to explore more about the publications of the North Country Women and view what topics were discussed at the time, it is possible to view the Women Together collection in St. Lawrence University’s Special Collections and view newsletters, mockups, and photos related to the opening of the Women’s Shelter, created by the North Country Women.