Michelle D. Schenandoah is an inspirational speaker, media creator, thought leader and traditional member of the Onʌyota':aka (Oneida) Nation Wolf Clan of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. She presented as a spiritual advisor to the Pope with the First Nations Delegation at the Vatican that prompted his apology regarding residential schools. She is the founder of the non-profit Rematriation dedicated to uplifting Indigenous women’s voices. 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 global influence on modern democracy and women’s rights.

Also a trained lawyer and journalist, Michelle is a visionary for change. She creates space for Indigenous voices to be honored fully with light and love through her storytelling as a filmmaker and in gathering spaces.

Most recently, Michelle hosted the Haudenosaunee & Indigenous Matrilineality Symposium at Syracuse University, where she revealed her new TV talkshow series and podcast, Rematriated Voices with Michelle Schenandoah that is now streaming on PBS. She directed and produced the Rematriation films: An Indigenous Response to #MeToo and the 10-part series, Indigenous Women’s Voices, with Mohawk Director, Katsitsionni Fox.

She is cofounder, owner and principal at Indigenous Concepts Consulting with her husband, Neal Powless. They help non-Indigenous businesses and media companies develop their own organizational best practices through an Indigenous lens.

Michelle was a Sgat ędwatahíne Haudenosuanee Fellow at Cornell University, and past recipient of the Soros Open Societies Equality Fellow and MIT SOLVE Indigenous Communities Fellowship.

Michelle lives in her people’s homelands with her husband and their beautiful family.