Hi Friend,

I remember the first time I met Wakerakats:se, who often goes by Mommabear.

Really I could hardly forget it.

It was last December. I was giving a talk at a conference whose theme was, Dismantling White Supremacy/ Doctrine of Discovery, hosted at the University of Syracuse by folks from the Indian Law Alliance. In case you don't know that crowd, it includes many esteemed Indigenous scholars, activists, and change-makers, including many members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Many of them have been teachers, elders, and leaders who have shape-shifted my own life and helped me see things differently.

So I was really excited when my presentation, sharing aspects of the work we do around ReMembering and engaging with time differently, got accepted.

I was on a panel with Sarah Nahar and Wendy Felese, both of whom are more in academic spaces than am I more because of them than because of me, our session was packed. Probably 75 people, 80% of whom were people of color. And in the front row were several well-known Indigenous women whom I had heard of - watched their talks, read their articles, but didn't know personally. including Mommabear Wakerakats:se.

Sarah's presentation was about connecting black, brown, and indigenous feminist movements. It was a powerful presentation.

After Sarah's presentation, Mommabear Wakerakats:se (Mohawk, bear clam) made a clarifying point. This is not exactly what she said, but it included something to the gist of - "I don't see myself as a feminist. the language of feminism does not make sense to me. Where I am from, as a Haudenosaunee woman, we (don't need rights under the law)... we are the law."

Her powerful statement shape-shifted something inside of me, something that continues to grow and develop.

She was articulating something I’ve seen and noticed from many indigenous women, but not had the words for.

Her experience I don't think I've really had, as an American woman.

But it is a sentiment/experience/knowing that I think can take us to a different place.

The law she is speaking of is, I think, as much a question of epistemology and ontology - ways of knowing and being - as much as questions of legality.

Shortly after that conference, there was a gathering of several Indigenous women leaders, including Mommabear Wakerakats:se, Michelle Shenandoah, Sarah Augustine, and Pat McBade, who are all involved in land justice issues. That gathering was hosted by women from Land Justice Futures, formerly known as the Nuns and Nones’ Land Justice team. Out of that gathering came the clarity to bring together (and at the same time form) a movement around ‘Mother Law’.

In part because of my ongoing relationships with the core team - I have been occasionally serving as one of their behind-the-scenes support people in various forms, including spiritual direction - as well as my work around these themes and topics (which I refer to as ReMembering, I have been asked to be part of their theological circle that's informing this work as well as to be one of the teachers in their first-ever starter course on these topics. I’m very honored.

Towards that, I want to extend the invitation to join them for this upcoming informational webinar on Aug 19. They are going to share some of their story - including their work with Catholic Sisters around land justice in the last few years. They are calling it the motherhouse starter series.

I think this is an incredible story... and if all you do is listen to the webinar, it's going to be well worth your time.

The course itself is pretty short - it's 6 weeks during the month of September. You might enjoy it. It leans in as an offering for women-identifying people, but it sounds like they aren't turning anyone away.

Register to the Info session

Many Blessings,

Sara Jolena