One Year Around the Sun

It’s been one year around the sun since we gathered under the total solar eclipse for the Rekindling the Fire of Our Sisterhood gathering on April 4, 2024! We created a Sisterhood Eclipse video that we are happy to share with you to commemorate our beautiful time together! She:koli,

The Totality of the April 8th Solar Eclipse was met with a collage of cultural, historical, spiritual, and scientific perspectives. Beginning April 5th, 2024, Haudenosaunee & Indigenous Relatives across Turtle Island gathered together for four days and three nights to welcome the total solar eclipse crossing directly over Seneca territory at Ganondagan, home of the Peace Mother, Tsiokonsa:se. Rematriation hosted around 200 Indigenous relatives of all ages, including 15 traditional titleholders. Click here to watch.

Opening Plenary Session: Why We Are Matrilineal with Mommabear Louise McDonald Herne, Mohawk Bear Clan Mother; Jamie Jacobs, Seneca; and Scott Manning Stevens, Mohawk.

From February 28 to March 2, 2025, Rematriation, in collaboration with Syracuse University and the Center for Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice, hosted a groundbreaking symposium that celebrated the power of Indigenous matrilineal knowledge. The weekend was filled with rich discussions, knowledge-sharing, and community-building, all focused on addressing today’s most pressing social and environmental challenges.

All three strands of Rematriation’s mission to Connect, Represent, and Educate came together in our Haudenosaunee & Indigenous Matrilineality Symposium.

Beverly Jacobs, Mohawk Bear Clan, holding the Two Row Wampum to illuminate Rights and Responsibilities between the western world and the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace.

A Vision Brought to Life

The Haudenosaunee & Indigenous Matrilineality Symposium was born from a vision to create a dedicated space for Indigenous peoples’ knowledge, leadership, and governance to be uplifted and honored. Inspired by the teachings of Haudenosaunee leaders, knowledge keepers, and community members, this gathering was designed to bring together voices from across Turtle Island to share the wisdom of matrilineal traditions with the world

More than 200 people traveled to the symposium from across Turtle Island, bringing their knowledge, experiences, and open hearts to this gathering. The event brought together a dynamic mix of voices, among them Haudenosaunee community members, scholars, students, allies and members of the general public, along with a strong presence of young people. Held at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, the symposium became more than just a conference–it was a space to connect, learn, and build relationships.

The energy in the room was warm and welcoming, with conversations flowing naturally and ideas taking root. Traditional knowledge blended with forward-thinking discussions, creating a shared vision for a livable future. It was a reminder that when we come together with purpose, incredible things can happen.

“Oh my gosh…the authenticity and brilliance of the speakers. Their deep knowledge, experience and urgency. The paradigm is going to shift with these women dreaming.”- symposium attendee

Enjoying the teachings and good energy, listening to Beverly and Tom Porter.

Elder Tom Porter, Mohawk Bear Clan, always can be counted on for bringing a lot of good laughter. He presented on traditional teachings of the Haudenosaunee alongside Beverly Jabobs in the plenary session, Rights and Responsibilities.

A Weekend of Knowledge and Connection

People attending the symposium appreciated the diversity of perspectives, including elders, youth, academic and non-academic voices, braiding together spiritual, historical and practical discussions to make real change.

In one session, SUNY Albany history professor Maeve Kane shared her commitment to making her research digitally accessible to the public as a way to redress historical wrongs in the ways academics have appropriated Indigenous knowledge. In turn, Haudenosaunee women in the audience doing similar research shared perspectives that expanded her historical analysis. The enthusiasm in the room was palpable.

You can read about the symposium in this thoughtful article (click here to read), in Syracuse University’s Daily Orange, an example of the good press that surrounded our event.

“Matrilineality is not just heritage. It is a roadmap to healing, resilience, and leadership.” – Mommabear, Louise McDonald Herne, Mohawk Bear Clan Mother

The presentations were divided into tracks based on thematic connections. The first track, “Rematriation Is…” included presentations on culture, language reclamation and seed rematriation. The Archival Silence track addressed ways to crack open history to include the presence and voices of Indigenous people, especially women. Clearing the Path focused on ways Haudenosaunee knowledge can bring people into harmony and balance. She Films It was a celebration of Haudenosaunee filmmakers and films that celebrate Haudenosaunee culture. Finally, Beyond Acknowledgment addressed ways allies can move into true partnership with Indigenous people in the spirit of the Two Row Wampum.

In these tracks we were honored to host 21 concurrent presentations, many of which were co-presented by groups of colleagues and faculty from their respective fields, enriching the collaborative atmosphere.

Karenna’onwe Dr. Karen Hill presenting the Two Row Wampum in her presentation.
Being Indigenous in non-Indigenous Spaces.

Building Relationships

Rematriation founder Michelle Schenandoah didn’t want the symposium to be a strictly academic event, with participants moving from one presentation to another in isolation. To give participants the opportunity to reflect and connect, there were six powerful plenary sessions throughout the symposium. These gatherings were deeply inspiring and uplifting.

The symposium opened with a plenary session on Why We Are Matrilineal with Louise “Mommabear” Herne, Jamie Jacobs, and Scott Manning Stevens. Friday evening there was a theater presentation, Our Words Are Seeds, by Ty Defoe. Healing Self and Relationship was presented by Jane Burning, Wendy Hill, and Diane Schenandoah. Healing from the Land included presentations by Kawenniiosta Jock, Becky Webster, Angie Ferguson, Dan Hill, Michael Galban, Kristiana Ferguson and moderator Ansley Jemison. The event also featured an Auntie’s Dandelion listening lounge where six Haudenosaunee aunties’ podcasts were played.

On the final morning there were words from Tom Porter and Beverly Jacobs on Rights and Responsibilities. The symposium was closed out by an experiential discussion, Bringing It All Together, moderated by Neal Powless.

“The symposium was paradigm-shattering—it changed the way I see my role in my community.” – symposium attendee

Rematriation team member, Jalyn Jimerson, taking a moment from the weekend’s hard work with members from her community to listen to the star teachings during Saturday night’s events.

A Star-Filled Saturday Evening

On Saturday evening the symposium was opened up to the public for a keynote event at the National Veterans Resource Center. Rematriation welcomed over 500 people to Matrilineal Pathways: Original Teachings for a Livable Future. Talk about getting the message out!

We started the evening with a reception for symposium attendees. What a beautiful sense of welcome and celebration! From delicious Indigenous foods menu created in collaboration between Ansley Jemison, Seneca, and Syracuse University to social dancing led by the Haudenosaunee Singers & Dancers, the reception was an exhilarating time to connect, laugh, and acknowledge Haudenosaunee & Indigenous culture.

After the reception the doors opened to the public. The evening opened with a Thanksgiving Address by Onondaga youth Javin Capella, followed by the heartwarming songs of Bear Fox and the Akwesasne Singers.

“We need to do this again, and more often—our communities need this space.” – symposium attendee

The first half of the evening featured a panel discussion with Mohawk Bear Clan Mother Louise “Mommabear” Herne, Potawatomi botanist and New York Times best-selling author Robin Wall Kimmerer, Mohawk actor and major motion filmmaker and actor Devery Jacobs, Onondaga Hawk Clan Chief Spencer Lyons, and Rochester Museum and Science Center ally Kathryn Murano–all moderated by our own Michelle Schenandoah.

In the second half, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Samantha Doxtator, Oneida, gave her informative, moving, and inspirational presentation on Haudenosaunee Astronomy, We Are Stars, Stars Are Us.

The entire evening was filmed by WCNY, Syracuse’s public television station, so look for it soon! WCNY tells us that they hope to finish editing some time this month.

Key Takeaways

Caring for the Wellness of All Living Beings: Haudenosaunee matrilineality teaches balance within the natural world, between genders, and among people. This worldview shapes governance, environmental stewardship, and social justice.
No Gender Domination: Haudenosaunee society is rooted in balance, with women holding autonomy over their bodies, children, and land while men and all relatives play vital roles in supporting and upholding peace.

1,000 Years of Peace: The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is the world’s oldest continuous democracy, demonstrating the power of peace and matrilineal governance.

“I want to bring my daughters next time so they can see this powerful representation of Indigenous womanhood.”

– symposium attendee

From the depths of our hearts, we extend our deepest gratitude to those who joined us and supported the first-ever Haudenosaunee & Indigenous Matrilineality Symposium. Your presence, energy, and willingness to share in this experience made our vision come to life in ways we could have only dreamed of.

Yaw^ko | Thank you! Until we meet again.

With love and gratitude,
The Rematriation Team

Here are a few photos from the weekend!