In The Clay We Are Made Of, Hill analyzes Haudenosaunee land tenure from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. To do so, Hill utilizes Haudenosaunee teachings on creation and philosophy, language, oral stories, archeological evidence, and European sources. For European sources, Hill applies a decolonizing lens to ascertain information hidden between the lines or within the record's silences. Through these sources, Hill places the Haudenosaunee’s treaties with the Europeans within a broader context of their history with the land. This provides Haudenosaunee agency rather than framing Haudenosaunee choices as reactions to European decisions.
The analysis of traditional Haudenosaunee epics and creation stories provides a basis for Haudenosaunee politics generally but specifically describes women's roles and importance in the political sphere. For example, The Great Law of Peace, which acts as a legal system, recognizes women as leaders of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and identifies the importance of their consideration for the land’s future use. As Clan Mothers, women held the responsibilities of taking care of the land and leading families in partnership with men. Hill emphasizes how vital women’s positions were in Haudenosaunee politics.
Despite their importance, European sources rarely mentioned women. Sources from the seventeenth century mainly come from Jesuit missionaries, who harshly critiqued Haudenosaunee women. Jesuit comments on women's role in society were biased and inaccurate due to their European expectations. Eighteenth-century treaty negotiations made more mention of women as meditators. However, women received little notice or attention by name unless they married a European man. Overall, most European sources unsuccessfully described women’s role in Haudenosaunee politics and society. However, in applying Indigenous sources, Hill provides evidence that challenges European narratives which represented Indigenous women as either overbearing matriarchs or burdens. To counter the misrepresentation of Haudenosaunee people, Hill utilizes Indigenous sources, narratives, and traditions. While Hill connects women's roles to Haudenosaunee land use, she also reveals women's continued existence and participation within, from the Eurocentric viewpoint, the domain of male-dominated politics.
Hill’s exploration of the Haudenosaunee also demonstrates the continuity of intellectual tradition. Specifically, it provides evidence that the Haudenosaunee women held an important political and societal role before European arrival. For example, Haudenosaunee women used traditional laws to support rebuilding their communities in the wake of warfare and disease which European colonization brought about. In this case, women based their role on Haudenosaunee's historical precedent to rebuild, rather than their role simply being a reaction to European interaction. Women involved themselves with treaty-making decisions as per women’s right to protect the land for future generations. European's written documents mentioned women's statements on land negotiations, demonstrating women exercising their right to participate in such decisions. Through a combination of Indigenous sources such as the oral tradition of the Great Law and European documents, Hill demonstrates the continuity of women's political involvement.

A well-researched account of important Indigenous history from Six Nations scholar Susan M. Hill. Accessible to those who know next to nothing about the subject.