Final answer:
Indeed, indigenous American societies often held women in high regard with significant roles in spiritual and leadership capacities before the European conquest, which disrupted these traditional roles and led to the decline of indigenous female leadership.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that before European conquest, women throughout the Americas served as priests, shamans, and medicine people is true. Women in indigenous societies often held significant roles that were both spiritual and leadership-oriented. For instance, the Iroquois had women who advised tribal councils and chose male leaders, denoting a strong influence in governance. With the arrival of Europeans and the imposition of Christianity, traditional indigenous gender roles and leadership structures were forcibly altered. Assimilation policies, such as sending children to schools aimed at eradicating native cultures, contributed to the decline of indigenous female leadership. Patriarchal views imposed by colonizers were in contrast to the often matriarchal structures of Native societies, leading to a significant shift in power dynamics. Indigenous female leadership did not fully recover, largely due to the intense pressure to conform to European societal norms.