Rematriation’s symposium closes with powerful keynote on matrilineality and cultural preservation

The three-day academic symposium hosted by the local nonprofit Rematriation concluded Saturday night with a public keynote panel. The symposium was created to share Indigenous matrilineal knowledge with the wider community, focusing on the systems, teachings and traditions passed down through the maternal line in Haudenosaunee culture, in which family names and clan affiliations are inherited from the mother. 

Michelle Schenandoah founded Rematriation in 2016 as a magazine to help with the lack of understanding around indigenous cultures. Since then, it has expanded into an organization focused on creating spaces for public engagement and education on Indigenous cultures. Its aim is to support Indigenous women nationwide by uplifting their voices and returning human consciousness toward Mother Earth. 

Saturday night’s events began with a gathering for conference attendees to mingle and enjoy food prepared by Syracuse University Catering Executive Chef Bryan Hammond. Hammond said he was honored to cook for the event, as it allowed him to pay tribute to the Haudenosaunee creation story and Sky Woman. The highlight for many was the bison smoked over cedar.

Before heading into the auditorium, guests enjoyed a variety of Haudenosaunee social dances. These included the women’s dance, performed by only women, who kept their feet on the ground as they danced. The dance emphasizes the relationship between women and Mother Earth with their ability to bring life into the world. Other dances were open to all attendees, highlighting unity and friendship.

Photo by Kelly Brown

Members of the Haudenosaunee Community participate in a traditional social dance prior to the Rematriation keynote panel on Saturday.

The keynote panel focused on Haudenosaunee and Indigenous matrilineality, emphasizing the importance of identities passed down through the maternal line. Schenandoah was joined by five other speakers, each playing a key role in sharing Indigenous stories.

Devery Jacobs, a Mohawk Bear Clan member and award-winning actor and filmmaker, brought her perspective to the panel. Jacobs is best known for portraying Elora Danan in Reservation Dogs and Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman in Marvel’s What If…?, in which she starred in a groundbreaking episode unique for being entirely spoken in the Mohawk language.

Jacobs emphasized the importance of bringing Indigenous storytelling to the big screen.

“Starting out, I thought there would be an industry full of indigenous storytellers and I didn’t realize how far and few in between it would be,” Jacobs said. “I asked myself, ‘Why am I waiting for someone else to tell a story from my community, especially of women?’ So, that was when I started writing.” 

Jacobs wasn’t the only notable name onstage. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and New York Times bestselling author, spoke about the importance of paying attention to the natural world. Her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, has inspired many to see nature through the Indigenous perspective.

“We need to not learn about the living world, but learn from the living world, to realize that there are examples all around us,” Kimmerer said. “If we open ourselves to that, we see so many lessons of generosity, of creativity and they tell us everything in a circle. You can’t just take without giving back.”

Louise “Mommabear” Herne, a Mohawk Bear Clan Mother, is a trusted advisor to the Haudenosaunee community and also shared the stage. She was a key inspiration behind Rematriation and plays a vital role in supporting Indigenous women in governance by advocating for their leadership and preserving traditional knowledge. 

Her sense of humor made her a favorite among the crowd.

“If you forget how to give gratitude, then your ego inflates and you become a fanatical. I think we are witnessing that on the world stage right now,” Herne said. “Boy, what I’d give to be Trump’s Clan Mother.” Her comment sparked laughter throughout the room.

The final two speakers were Spencer Lyons, an Onondaga Hawk clan chief, and Kathryn Murano Santos, senior director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. Lyons spoke about the important guidance Indigenous women have provided in his life and the power of balancing the roles of men and women.

Santos, though not a member of the Indigenous community, is a strong ally. She works to create an environment where museums collaborate with Indigenous communities to repair and build relationships while eliminating harm. She recently led the way for RMSC’s newest permanent exhibition focusing on the Haudenosaunee culture. 

The key takeaway the panellists wanted the audience to leave with was that a nation can rise when women are given power.

“If all women stand together on a unified front, we can change the world,” Herne said. “All people, one planet.”

To conclude the evening, Samantha Doxtator of the Oneida Nation Wolf Clan gave a special presentation on Haudenosaunee Astronomy. Continuing the work of her late sister, Doxtator shared the connection between science, Mother Earth and the universe. Her work has led her to present at venues such as the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.

It took Rematriation two years to organize this weekend’s symposium, but their movement doesn’t stop there. With plans for a new podcast set to launch this spring, Rematriation will continue its work to uplift Indigenous women’s voices.