To rematriate is to return the sacred to the mother. Join us today as we talk about the collective work of Rematriation with Dr. Dian Million (Tanana Athabascan), Michelle Schenandoah (Oneida Nation) and Marquel Musgrave (Nanbe Owingeh). In this episode, we acknowledge that rematriation IS the work of decolonization; we talk through Indigenous Feminism, Sky Woman, and we even make the connections between Ruth Bater Ginsberg and The Doctrine of Discovery.

Dr. Dian Million, is Tanana Athabascan,  and is a Professor in American Indian Studies at the University of Washington. She recieved her Ph. D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 2004.  She is the author of Therapeutic Nations: Healing in an Age of Indigenous Human Rights, as well the author of “Felt Theory: An Indigenous Feminist Approach to Affect and History,” “Intense Dreaming: Theories, Narratives and Our Search for Home,” and most recently “A River Runs Through Me: Theory from Life”. She teaches courses on Indigenous politics, literatures, feminisms and social issues.

Michelle Schenandoah is a Rematriation Activist, media maker, and inspirational speaker. She belongs to the Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan, of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Michelle is the host of Rematriated Voices with Michelle Schenandoah, an upcoming talk show highlighting the untold stories and contributions of Indigenous Peoples in Turtle Island. She is also the founder of the nonprofit Rematriation, an organization dedicated to uplifting the Indigenous women led movement of rematriation. 

Marquel Musgrave is a mother, auntie and tribal citizen of Nanbé Owingeh and currently works for the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. Marquel has previously worked at the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, as an outdoor experiential educator, and served an elected term as tribal council secretary for the pueblo of Nambe. She is currently a member of the Tewa Language Committee for her pueblo, and serves on the Board of Directors for Pueblo Action Alliance. They are also co-founder of the Rights of Mother Earth and Water Beings Coalition.

The Library Rematriation Project defines this topic, and they say, “By “rematriate” we mean “give back,” but unlike the legal term “repatriate,” which signifies a simple transfer of ownership, “rematriate” means something more profound: a restoration of right relationships and a true action of decolonization, aimed not just at righting a past wrong but transforming our collective future.

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Shout out to our All My Relations team that makes this possible. Executive Editor of this episode is Jonathan Stein, mastering and sound design by Max Levin, original live music recording by Black Belt Eagle Scout and Laura Ortman. Live recording in Santa Fe by Teo Shantz, social media by Lindsey Hightower,  produced by Jamie Bratcher, Executive Assistant Haidyn Harvey, and Audio Assistant Darrien Camarillo. Special thanks to Orbit Studios, SubCat Studios, and Studio BE. 

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