Women at the Center: A Call to Interdependence

We present a profound conversation on the Indigenous Roots of American Democracy that puts women at the center. The vision for U.S. democracy drew largely from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the longest-standing democracy in world history. Women are central to the Great Law of Peace and Governance within the Haudenosaunee, whose federalist structure values peace, justice, and collective wellbeing. The Constitutional phrase “We the People” was drawn directly from Haudenosaunee philosophy. This conversation took place at the Indigenous Forum during the 2026 Bioneers Conference and features revered contemporary leaders, author-activists, elders, and clan mothers who speak to the themes of governance rooted in peace, matrilineal values, women's leadership, and wisdom from their own life's work and activism.