Uncovering the Matriarchs of the Mississippi and Beyond
There is evidence, oral tradition, and suppressed history that women played a central role in the Mound Builder civilizations, particularly within the Washitaw (Ouachita) Nation and other ancient matrilineal cultures across Turtle Island (North America).
“Before patriarchy, there was the Earth Mother. And her daughters built the mounds.” — Livity.Blog | Hidden Histories. Ancestral Intelligence.
🌀 1. Matrilineal Cultures of the Southeast
Many Indigenous cultures of the Southeast U.S.—where most mounds are located—were matrilineal, meaning:
Land, titles, and clan identity passed through the mother’s line Women were property holders, political advisors, spiritual leaders, and medicine keepers Chiefs were often chosen by the clan mothers or the elder women of the tribe
Examples include:
Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, and Natchez Their societal structure mirrored older systems that likely stemmed from Mound Builder civilizations
So it follows that the builders of the earlier Adena, Hopewell, and Mississippian cultures may have also honored matriarchal or balance-based leadership.
🪶 2. Washitaw Nation: Keepers of the Flame
The Washitaw de Dugdahmoundyah Nation—recognized by some Indigenous groups and scholars as descendants of the ancient mound builders of the Mississippi Valley—hold oral traditions that center women:
They recognize Empress Verdiacee “Tiari” Washitaw Turner Goston El Bey as their spiritual and sovereign leader The title of “Empress” itself reflects the Nation’s Moorish and matriarchal roots, drawing from Kemetian traditions Their teachings claim descent from Mu’ur (Moors) and Olmec bloodlines, with Black Aboriginal women as land keepers and priestesses of sacred mounds and rivers
Washitaw Nation oral history says their temples, burial mounds, and river cities were maintained and protected by women who carried earth wisdom, birth codes, and ancestral memory.
“The womb is the first mound, and the Earth is her mirror.”
— Washitaw teaching
⛰️ 3. The Mound = Feminine Symbol
Think of the shape of the mound—a domed earthwork rising from flat ground. This structure has long been seen as symbolic of:
The pregnant womb The primordial mound of creation (linked to Kemet’s Heliopolitan cosmogony) The Earth Mother’s belly, giving rise to life, death, and rebirth
In many Native traditions, mound-building ceremonies were tied to fertility, moon cycles, and mother energy. The act of building a mound was a sacred ritual, not just architecture.
It wasn’t just about labor. It was ceremonial womb-work.
🕯️ 4. Priestess Lineages and Sacred Roles
Archaeologists have found elite women buried in mounds, often with:
Sacred artifacts (mirrors, shells, copper spirals, figurines) Symbols of celestial knowledge Bodies carefully aligned with lunar or solar cycles
At Cahokia, the largest pyramid-mound complex in North America, some researchers believe a matriarchal priestess class helped regulate ceremonies, harvests, and cosmological rituals.
These roles mirror the “Hathor priestesses” of ancient Kemet and the “Moon Mothers” of Mesoamerican cultures.
🔥 5. Erased by Colonization and Patriarchy
Just like mound cultures were erased by war, smallpox, and genocide—so were the powerful women at their center.
Colonial narratives:
Ignored Indigenous women’s roles Reclassified matriarchal tribes as “chiefdoms” led by men Suppressed spiritual leadership of grandmothers, midwives, and birthworkers Silenced female descendants in historical records
Yet, the stories survive, especially in the Washitaw, Muskogee Creek, and African Native American lineages who have oral memory of earth-building priestesses and land-holding queens.
🌺 Conclusion: The Return of the Mound Mothers
The mounds are not just earthworks.
They are wombs of memory, altars to the cosmos, and monuments to the Divine Feminine.
Women—Black, Indigenous, and Aboriginal—were not only present in these civilizations.
They were builders, protectors, and carriers of sacred time.
Today, as women reclaim their voice, land, and wisdom, the Mound Mothers rise again.
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🔍 REFERENCES & SOURCES
🧱 Mound Builders & Matriarchal Societies
“Cahokia: Ancient America’s Great City on the Mississippi” by Timothy R. Pauketat Details the sacred nature of mound building, evidence of elite female burials, and ritual significance tied to celestial and fertility cycles.
“The Power of the Matriarch: Women in Mississippian Chiefdoms”, by Cheryl Claassen (Southeastern Archaeology Journal) Explores the role of women in spiritual and political leadership within mound-building societies.
“Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley” by Squier and Davis (1848, Smithsonian Contribution to Knowledge) Although written through a colonial lens, this book documents extensive mounds and female remains with sacred artifacts, suggesting elite status.
“Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary” by Gretchen M. Bataille Describes various female leaders, including those from mound regions, reflecting inherited leadership through maternal lines.
“Women in Prehistory: North America and Mesoamerica” by Cheryl Claassen and Rosemary Joyce An academic overview of women’s architectural and ritual contributions in ancient North America.
👑 Washitaw Nation & Empress Verdiacee
Empress Verdiacee Washitaw-Turner Goston El-Bey, “The Return of the Ancient Ones” (1993) Foundational text of the Washitaw Nation. Describes the matriarchal leadership and claims of Washitaw land and ancestry.
United Nations NGO Section – Economic and Social Council (1993) Verdiacee Washitaw is registered under UN NGO status, lending credibility to her position and Washitaw sovereignty claims: → UN ECOSOC Database (search for Washitaw de Dugdahmoundyah)
“African Presence in Early America”, edited by Ivan Van Sertima Includes chapters discussing the Washitaw, Olmec, and Black mound-building traditions.
🌍 Global Pyramid & African Presence
“They Came Before Columbus” by Dr. Ivan Van Sertima Documents transatlantic African presence and pyramid-building techniques in pre-Columbian America, including in Washitaw territory.
“The First Americans Were Africans: Documented Evidence” by Dr. David Imhotep Claims that the first Americans were Black, including ancestors of mound builders. Discusses Washitaw and Black Native lineages.
🌀 Oral Traditions & Indigenous Memory
Creek, Natchez, and Choctaw oral histories, recorded by early anthropologists such as John R. Swanton, note:
Matriarchal clan systems Grandmother councils The importance of women in land and spiritual authority
Mississippian Iconography (Southeastern Ceremonial Complex – SECC) Symbols often associated with fertility, rebirth, and the moon—all feminine-coded.
📚 Academic Databases for Further Research
JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org National Museum of the American Indian: https://americanindian.si.edu Indigenous Governance Database: https://nnigovernance.arizona.edu
