Part Two: Your Story Is Herstory Too!

Our stories and the stories of our mothers and grandmothers are part of herstory, too. Many of us do not know much about our own past. Here are some things you can do to get in touch with your past. You might choose to do one of them or all of them.

Make a Family Tree
Photocopy the tree on the next page. Write in your family members' names and the dates they were born and died. Photocopy pictures of your family and glue them on. With this tree you can go back four generations. If you know more than that, you will have to make your own tree. If you find some interesting stories about their lives, write them down.

You may not be comfortable talking about your family. If this is true please skip this exercise, or talk about only the family that you are comfortable with, or build your own family out of friends and neighbours.

Answer these questions:

1. Who is the oldest living member of your family and how old is this person?

_________________________________________________________________

2. What is the name and date of birth of the oldest woman in your tree?

_________________________________________________________________

3. Do you feel a special fondness for one family member? Which one and why?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________