Q and A with the experts: The role of Indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge

Waterloo historian and anthropologist explains how the importance of women in the community is inextricably tied to the land. The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is celebrated globally on August 9th. It marks the date of the inaugural session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982. In keeping with this year's theme, University of Waterloo historian and anthropologist Talena Atfield , answers questions about the roles of Indigenous women in preserving and transmitting traditional knowledges. Professor Atfield is a member of the Kanien'kehá:ka Nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River. How do Indigenous women engage in the transmission of cultural knowledges? I can speak to the transmission of knowledges from my experience as a learner of Hodinohso:ni histories and culture. For Hodinohso:ni peoples, the importance of women in the community is inextricably tied to the land.