The Indigenous Matriarch Manifesto: Kinship, Matriarchy, and Indigenous Healing
Renee Tsinigine Holt, PhD
Volume 26, Number 1 (2026) 26 (1): 47-61
Keywords intergenerational trauma, kinship systems, Indigenous feminism, cultural continuity, Indigenous matriarchy
Abstract
This article examines Indigenous matriarchy as a dynamic framework for healing intergenerational trauma and sustaining cultural continuity. Grounded in Diné (Navajo) and Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) knowledge systems, it employs an Indigenous feminist, narrative-based methodology that positions lived experience as theory. Situating personal and familial histories within the broader context
of colonial boarding school policies, the paper argues that disruptions to matriarchal roles and kinship systems have had lasting impacts on community wellbeing. Through analysis of women-centered practices—including foodways, ceremony, and relational accountability—it demonstrates that healing is enacted through collective relationships rather than individualized models of care.
The article identifies Indigenous women as central agents in maintaining cultural knowledge and facilitating intergenerational recovery. It concludes that Indigenous matriarchy remains an active, adaptive system of governance and care, and calls for its greater recognition within Indigenous health frameworks and feminist scholarship.
Renee Tsinigine Holt, PhD
Published June 5, 2026
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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