Our Story
Vision
Rematriation is the realization of twenty years of dreaming by our Founder, Michelle Schenandoah. While riding the NYC subway as a young, Oneida woman in her early 20s, she noticed Black and Latina women enjoying magazines designed just for them. As an Indigenous woman she wondered, “Where’s my magazine?” Two decades later in 2017, Shenandoah founded Rematriation Magazine as the answer to this question. Today, Rematriation is a multi-media initiative engaging in film production, digital content creation and community engagement. Rematriation is the home of Rematriation Magazine and, most importantly, a community of Haudenosaunee and Indigenous women choosing to heal together. We continue to re-imagine the ways in which a “magazine” can shift narratives, defy stereotypes, and reflect our own experiences.
About
Rematriation is a Haudenosaunee-led, digital storytelling platform connecting Haudenosaunee and Indigenous women across Turtle Island and around the world. We rematriate through Indigenous women-led, in person gatherings; online, Indigenous women-only spaces; and initiatives designed to educate the public and build allies.
Our Mission Statement
Rematriation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the movement of Rematriation across Turtle Island by uplifting Indigenous women’s voices and raising human consciousness toward living in balance with Mother Earth.
Our Team
Michelle Schenandoah
Onʌyota’:aka (Oneida)
Michelle is an inspirational speaker, writer, thought leader and traditional member of the Onʌyota’:aka (Oneida) Nation Wolf Clan of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She is the founder of Rematriation and the non-profit Kanenhi:io Ionkwaienthos. Raised in a family of traditional leadership, she carries the values and responsibilities of being Haudenosaunee throughout her life. Inspired by her grandmothers who led generations of Oneida Nation land claims, Michelle carries her ancestors’ passion to rematriate her people’s lands and bring about the truthful telling of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s influence on the world.
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She is co-founder, owner and principal at Indigenous Concepts Consulting with her husband, Neal Powless, she helps non-Indigenous businesses and media companies develop their own organizational best practices through an Indigenous lens. She holds a JD and LL.M. in Taxation from New York Law School, a MS from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, and a BA from Cornell University. Throughout her career, Michelle has advised tribal governments across Turtle Island, studied facilitation and healing methods in a variety of traditions and worked for numerous non-profits, including: The American Indian College Fund and Children of the Earth.
Michelle is a current board member for the Everson Museum of Art. She has previously served as President of the Board of Directors for the non-profit, Seven Dancers Coalition and as a board member for the NAMMYS where she helped establish the Native Music category in the GRAMMYS.
She lives on her people’s homelands with her husband and their four beautiful children.
Jade Haumann
Otá:yö:nih (Wolf Clan)
Jade was born into the Seneca Nation of Indians Wolf Clan although she has spent her entire childhood in another nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Onoñda’gegá’ (Onondaga). In 2018, Jade earned a bachelor’s degree in Organismal Biology from Keuka College. Since then, she has traveled Turtle Island learning from other Indigenous Nations like the Karuk, Yurok, and Hoopa tribes of Northern California, and the Seneca-Cayuga Nation in Oklahoma. Jade’s life is driven by living intentionally and sustainably, with a big heart for animals both domestic and wild. Her passion is to care for and advocate for animals with experience in wildlife rehabilitation and studying wildlife conservation. At home, Jade has a micro animal sanctuary and gardens in her freetime while also being active in the Onondaga Nation community as well as the Six Nations Agricultural Society. In recent years she has dedicated her time to learning about Haudenosaunee traditions in seed keeping/gardening and foraging plant medicines.
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Jade currently lives just outside the Onondaga Nation with her loving partner and their many animals.
Caryn Miller
Onöndowa’ga:’ ni’ah
Ageswë’gai:yo’
Ohi:yo’ jo:negano:h nöda:ge:’
Caryn Miller is a dedicated traditional member of the Seneca Nation Hawk Clan, raised on the Allegany territory. She received a B.S. at Syracuse University with a dual major in Marketing Management and Entrepreneurship & Emerging Enterprises and a minor in Native American & Indigenous Studies. She is the daughter of Dawn Colburn and Chris Miller. Driven by her connection to her identity, she takes pride in providing her best contributions possible from an Indigenous woman’s perspective. Caryn aspires to continue working towards uplifting Indigenous voices and connecting with like-minded individuals.
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Afton Paulena Lewis
Afton P. Lewis is a member of the Navajo Nation. She is of the Mud People Clan born for the Black Sheep Clan. Her maternal grandfather is of the Coyote Pass Clan and her paternal grandmother is of the Edge of the Water Clan. Afton grew up in the Four Corners region of the Southwest in a small town called Farmington in New Mexico.
Afton is a filmmaker, editor, producer, and entrepreneur. She was inspired to join the film industry since she was young but since working for Rematriation, she has found the passion to be in charge of her own media company.
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Afton currently lives in Onondaga territories also known as Syracuse, NY. She lives with her boyfriend Cameron and mother-in-law Diane Schenandoah.
Rematriation Board of Directors
Christina Jimerson
Chelsea Sunday
Christina Porter
Rematriation Board of Advisors
Diane Schenandoah
Onʌyota’:aka (Oneida)
A Faithkeeper of the Oneida Nation, Diane is a traditional titleholder who carries the responsibility of upholding, sharing and honoring Haudenosaunee spirituality and lifeways. She was born into a large Haudenosaunee family and resides in her ancestral Onʌyota’:aka (Oneida) Nation homelands in upstate New York. She is the daughter of the late Clifford Schenandoah, who was an Onondaga Nation Pine Tree Chief and jazz musician; and the late Maisie Shenandoah, an Oneida Nation Wolf Clan Mother.
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Diane was a backup singer and percussionist for her sister and internationally renowned singer/songwriter, Joanne Shenandoah. Together they have traveled the world performing and exhibiting her artwork. Diane is mother to Rematriation founder Michelle Schenandoah; she also has four sons and many beautiful grandchildren.
Neal Powless
Hawhenawdies, Neal J. Powless, MS, NCC, and PhD Fellow at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, is a traditional member of the Onondaga Nation and Eel Clan. He currently serves all Faculty, Staff and Graduate students at Syracuse University as the University Ombuds, providing confidential, informal, independent and neutral crisis management and crisis resolution.
As a Co-Producer for the Major Motion Picture “Crooked Arrows”, Mr. Powless was responsible for Native story line development, cultural sensitivity and procuring financial investments. He co-produced the NY Emmy Nominated “Game of Life; Heart and Soul of the Onondaga” a short documentary about the cultural origins of the game of lacrosse, as well as collaborated with ESPN on multiple film projects.
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Mr. Powless has taught courses and presented across the country for nearly 20 years about Indigenous culture and value systems. He is the Co-Founder/Co-Owner of Indigenous Concepts Consulting, a firm that he currently runs with his wife, Michelle, to bridge Native American ideals and culture with organizations and individuals all over the world. They are currently working on projects for a multi-dimensional media platform, curriculum development, an Indigenous health & wellness initiative and script development of another Major Motion picture with a major Studio label.
He is a producer and participant on the film: An Indigenous Response to #MeToo which is free on Vimeo. He has been screening the film and conducting community dialogues around sexual assault at college campuses and communities who have restorative justice programs. Also, in 2018, one of his PhD papers was published in the book Nasty Women and Bad Hombres: Gender and Race in the 2016 Presidential Election.
Since 2014, Mr. Powless has been the Head Coach for the Netherlands National Lacrosse team that competed in Denver in 2014-2016, and now the Netherlands National Indoor lacrosse team since 2017 and are currently ranked 8th in the world. He was a 3-time All-American lacrosse player which led to his 7-year professional lacrosse career. He played for the Iroquois Nationals in 6 World Lacrosse Championships and made the tournament’s All-World Team in 2002. Mr. Powless has won a total of 5 Professional and National Championships in his career and was inducted into the Nazareth College Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the US Lacrosse, CNY Chapter Hall of Fame in 2017.
He formerly served Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and Career Services. Mr. Powless has a Masters in Counseling from Syracuse University and a BS in Psychology from Nazareth College. His current PhD researched is about Indigenous imagery in contemporary Major Motion Pictures. He resides in Upstate New York with his wife, Michelle Schenandoah-Powless and their 4 children.