Michelle Schenandoah, JD LLM MS in Journalism

Michelle Schenandoah (Oneida Nation) is a trained lawyer, writer, producer and Founder of Rematriation, a nonprofit highlighting the untold stories and contributions of Indigenous Peoples in North America. As an in-demand keynote speaker, Schenandoah talks about the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s influence on the formation of U.S. democracy, the U.S. Constitution and women’s rights. She creates healing narratives about truth telling, racial justice and intergenerational trauma for public and private audiences to process harmful histories and inspire meaningful action. Recently, she addressed Pope Francis with the First Nations Delegation at the Vatican which prompted his apology regarding Indian Residential Schools in Canada.

Schenandoah is currently teaching a course on Indigenous law at Syracuse University College of Law. Her expertise draws on 40+ years of experience as a traditional member of the On^yota’:aka Oneida Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy as well as her roles as founder of the nonprofit Rematriation; and co-founder, with her husband Neal Powless, of Indigenous Concepts Consulting. As a cultural consultant for a major motion studio, corporations, universities and other organizations, Schenandoah is a visionary for change. She is a 2022 Soros Equality Fellow, 2022 MIT Solve Indigenous Communities Fellow and in 2021 she was recognized as a Changemaker by the Rochester Museum & Science Center.

Schenandoah’s strength is grounded in the inherent authority of Haudenosaunee women as caretakers and leaders within the world’s oldest living democracy. The mother of four and grandmother of one lives in the heart of her peoples’ homelands in Syracuse, New York. Schenandoah received her undergraduate degree in American Studies and American Indian Studies from Cornell University, a law degree and Master of Law from New York Law School and a Master’s in journalism from Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Her traditional name is Kaluhyanu:wes, which means “She is Fond of the Sky.”

Sub-Specialties:
MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women), U.S. Democracy, Doctrine of Discovery, women’s rights, Land Back, Indigenous healing, rematriation, racial justice, environmental justice, climate justice, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Native American Heritage Month, Constitution Day, President’s Day, Women’s History Month, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Doctrine of Discovery