“This partnership represents an important step in strengthening our responsibilities to Hodinohsó:ni knowledge, histories, and cultural belongings held in institutions abroad. By working together, we can ensure research is guided by community priorities while creating opportunities for students and scholars to engage in meaningful, relationship-based work.”
OHSWÉ:KEN, ON — Deyohahá:ge Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic has launched a new research partnership with the University of Waterloo to strengthen Hodinohsó:ni archival research, improve access to cultural heritage materials, and support rematriation efforts grounded in community priorities.
Supported through a Partnership Engage Grant, this collaboration brings together community leadership and academic research expertise to identify, document, and build ethical pathways to access Hodinohsó:ni materials held in museum and archival collections internationally. The initiative is guided by principles of respect, relationship-building, and community-driven knowledge stewardship.
The partnership is co-led by Dr. Talena Atfield, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair and Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo, who is Kanyenkehà:ka of the Grand River from London, ON and Stevie Jonathan, Senior Associate Dean of the Indigenous Knowledge Centre and University programs, who is Kanyenkehà:ka from Six Nations of the Grand River.
Dr. Atfield brings institutional resources, research funding opportunities, and global networks that will help expand the reach and impact of Deyohahá:ge:’s mandate. “This partnership represents an important step in strengthening our responsibilities to Hodinohsó:ni knowledge, histories, and cultural belongings held in institutions abroad,” said Dr. Atfield. “By working together, we can ensure research is guided by community priorities while creating opportunities for students and scholars to engage in meaningful, relationship-based work.”
The project included site visits to key institutions in the United Kingdom to review Hodinohsó:ni cultural materials and initiate dialogue around access, representation, and potential rematriation. These include the Pitt Rivers Museum and the British Museum, the British Library, and the British National Archive, where important collections of Hodinohsó:ni belongings and archival documents are currently held.
Where repatriation is not immediately possible, the partnership will prioritize discussions on culturally responsive stewardship practices, including respectful representation, revised descriptive language, and appropriate protocols for handling sacred or restricted materials. This dialogue would build upon existing commitments by the institutions to increase access – for example, by improving catalogue records and research about these materials, working closely with the community and developing long-term relationships to ensure continued collaboration.
Deyohahá:ge Indigenous Knowledge Centre is mandated to preserve and nurture Indigenous knowledge and languages, support collaborative research, and provide educational opportunities that enhance public understanding of Hodinohsó:ni knowledge systems. This partnership strengthens the Centre’s vision of becoming a world-class research facility grounded in community values. For the University of Waterloo, the collaboration reinforces its commitment to building meaningful relationships with Six Nations communities within the Haldimand Tract while expanding opportunities for students to participate in community-engaged research.
“This partnership reflects the importance of institutions working together in ways that honour Indigenous knowledge systems and community priorities,” said Senior Associate Dean of Deyohahá:ge Indigenous Knowledge Centre and University. “Our goal is not only to locate important cultural materials, but to build lasting relationships that support access, accountability, and future rematriation efforts.” The partnership will also create opportunities for students to engage in community-based research, contribute to archival documentation, and participate in knowledge mobilization initiatives that support Hodinohsó:ni language revitalization and historical scholarship.
“The Americas Section at the British Museum is excited to be part of this important project. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate in this way and to learn more about the Hodinohsó:ni cultural belongings stewarded in the British Museum from community knowledge bearers. We look forward to continuing conversations around access, and improving the documentation and display of the Hodinohsó:ni collections, while supporting community agency in how these collections are understood, activated and cared for,” said Dr. Rose Taylor, Curator of Americas, British Museum.
“The Pitt Rivers Museum is very pleased to be collaborating with Deyohahá:ge Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic and the University of Waterloo on this project, which speaks to the values of the Museum in improving access to collections, promoting knowledge exchange and prioritizing indigenous knowledge systems embedded in community practice. We look forward to working together,” said Faye Belsey, Senior Assistant Curator and Deputy Head of Collections, Pitt Rivers Museum.
Through this collaboration, both institutions aim to establish international leadership in Hodinohsó:ni archival research while laying the groundwork for long-term access, rematriation pathways, and community-driven knowledge creation.
About Deyohahá:ge Indigenous Knowledge Centre
Deyohahá:ge Indigenous Knowledge Centre, based at Six Nations Polytechnic in Ohswé:ken, Ontario, is a Hodinohsó:ni knowledge mobilization centre mandated to preserve Indigenous knowledge and languages, foster collaborative research, and provide public education grounded in community priorities.
About the University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a globally recognized research institution committed to innovation, community engagement, and advancing interdisciplinary scholarship.