Oren R. Lyons Jr. (born 1930,

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

) is a Native American Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan. The Seneca are one of the Six Nations of the historic

Haudenosaunee Confederacy The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

."Department of American Studies Faculty: Oren R. Lyons."
University of Buffalo, College of Arts and Sciences.(retrieved 26 Aug 2010) For more than 14 years he has been a member of the Indigenous Peoples of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations, and has had other leadership roles. A highly recognized college

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

player at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

during his undergraduate years, Lyons later became increasingly active as an advocate for the rights of

Indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

. He is the founder of the

Haudenosaunee The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Indigenous confederations in North America, confederacy of First Nations in Canada, First Natio ...

lacrosse team. He became a professor of American Studies at

University of Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

Background, education, and athletic career

Lyons was born in 1930 and raised in the culture and practices of the

and

Onondaga Onondaga may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Onondaga people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois League * Onondaga (village), Onondaga settlement and traditional Iroquois capita ...

nations in what is now

Upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

In the summers of 1947 and 1948, he worked as a junior counselor at Camp Onondaga on Long Lake New York. Lyons served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. He received an athletic scholarship in

, where he was awarded the Orange Key for his academic and athletic accomplishments. He graduated from the College of Fine Arts in 1958. A lifelong

player, Oren was an All-American at Syracuse, where the

Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team represents Syracuse University in NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse. The Orange have won 15 national championship titles, and currently compete as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacro ...

went undefeated during his graduating year. Athlete

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

, later known for his professional football career, was also on his team. After graduation, Lyons played for several teams, including the New York Lacrosse Club (1959–1965), the New Jersey Lacrosse Club (1966–1970), and the Onondaga Athletic Club (1970–1972). Upon leaving Syracuse, Lyons pursued a career in commercial art in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, becoming the art and planning director of Norcross Greeting Cards.Hope and Young 165 While working for Norcross, Lyons appeared as a challenger on the February 14, 1960 episode of the popular panel game show ''

What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...

''. Outside of work, Lyons exhibited his own paintings during this time. In 1970, Lyons returned to

to be closer to his cultural heritage. In recognition of his contributions over many years as a teacher of undergraduate and graduate students at the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

, Dr. Lyons is listed as SUNY Distinguished Service Professor and Professor Emeritus of American Studies in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.

Activism

In the 1960s, Lyons joined the

Red Power movement The Red Power movement was a social movement led by Native American youth to demand self-determination for Native Americans in the United States. Organizations that were part of Red Power Movement included American Indian Movement (AIM) and N ...

and joined the Unity Caravan, which traveled through Indian Country to foster dialogue about traditional tribal values. In 1972, he was a leader in the

Trail of Broken Treaties The Trail of Broken Treaties (also known as the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan and the Pan American Native Quest for Justice) was a 1972 cross-country caravan of American Indian and First Nations organizations that started on the West Coast of ...

, a caravan to

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

to convince the

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...

to honor federal treaties with Native American tribes. In 1971, during a protest against the expansion of

I-81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island ...

through the

Onondaga Reservation Onondaga Reservation is a Native American reservation in Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the territory of the Onondaga Nation. It lies just south of the city of Syracuse. The population was 2,244 at the 2010 census. The Onondaga R ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

state, Lyons met with singer/songwriters

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

and

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

. The couple wanted to help with the protest, after arriving in Syracuse for Ono's exhibition at the

Everson Museum of Art Everson may refer to: People with the surname * Ben Everson (born 1987), English footballer * Bill Everson (1906–1966), Welsh international rugby union player * Cliff Everson, a New Zealand car designer and manufacturer * Corinna Everson (born ...

. In 1977, Lyons helped create the Traditional Circle of Indian Elders and Youth at a meeting in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

. Since then, the Circle has gathered annually at different sites in Indian country. In 1977, he also was part of the ''

'' delegation of Iroquois representatives to the first World Conference on Racism. "At first, I wanted to defend the Iroquois. Then my sights broadened to embrace other Indians. Then I saw this had to include defending indigenous peoples all over the world," Lyons said. In 1981, he traveled with

Stephen Gaskin Stephen Gaskin (February 16, 1935 – July 1, 2014) was an American counterculture Hippie icon best known for his presence in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in the 1960s and for co-founding " The Farm", a spiritual commune in 1970. H ...

and

Ina May Gaskin Ina May Gaskin (born March 8, 1940) is an American midwife who has been described as "the mother of authentic midwifery."Granju, K.A. (1999"The Midwife of Modern Midwifery"Salon.com, Brilliant Careers. She helped found the self-sustaining communi ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

to attend an indigenous festival at

Nambassa Nambassa was a series of hippie-conceived festivals held between 1976 and 1981 on large farms around Waihi and Waikino in New Zealand. They were music, arts and alternatives festivals that focused on peace, love, and an environmentally friendly ...

, where he delivered a number of lectures and workshops. At Nambassa he coordinated with Maori land rights activists on questions of

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

sharing his Native American experiences. For more than fourteen years he has taken part in meetings in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

of Indigenous Peoples of the Human Rights Commission of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

. He helped to establish the

Working Group on Indigenous Populations The Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP) was a subsidiary body within the structure of the United Nations. It was established in 1982, and was one of the six working groups overseen by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of ...

in 1982. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders on Human Survival, and is a principal figure in the Traditional Circle of Indian Elders. He was a negotiator among the governments of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, the province of

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

, and the Mohawk in the

Oka crisis The Oka Crisis (french: links=no, Crise d'Oka), also known as the Kanehsatà:ke Resistance (), was a land rights, land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, which began on July 11, 1990, and lasted 78 day ...

during the summer of 1990. In 1992, Lyons addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations where he opened the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

Representation in other media

Lyons was among those featured in the one-hour documentary ''Faithkeeper'' (1991), produced and hosted by

Bill Moyers Bill Moyers (born Billy Don Moyers, June 5, 1934) is an American journalist and political commentator. Under the Johnson administration he served from 1965 to 1967 as the eleventh White House Press Secretary. He was a director of the Counci ...

It was broadcast on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

, July 3, 1991. He also appeared in the documentary '' The 11th Hour'' (2007), directed by Leila Connors and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Recognition

Lyons has been awarded an honorary

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

degree from Syracuse University. Lyons serves on the board of the

Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, also known as the Harvard Project, was founded in 1987 at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. It administers tribal awards programs as well as provides support for students and ...

and is board chairman of Honoring Contributions in the Governance of American Indian Nations. He has received the

Ellis Island Medal of Honor The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is an American award founded by the Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) (formerly known as the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO)), which is presented annually to American citizens, both native-born a ...

, the

National Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organ ...

's Audubon Medal, the

Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 b ...

International Award of the United Nations, and the Elder and Wiser Award of the Rosa Parks Institute for Human Rights. Lyons has received high recognition for his lacrosse playing: *In 1988 he was inducted into the

hall of fame. *In 1989 he was named Man of the Year in Lacrosse by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

. *In 1993 he was inducted into the

National Lacrosse Hall of Fame The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, is located in Sparks, Maryland at the USA Lacrosse headquarters. Prior to moving to its present location in 2016, the hall of fame and museum was located in Baltimore, Maryland, on the Homewood campu ...

.http://apps.uslacrosse.org/museum/halloffame/view_profile.php?prof_id=136 . See also Gordon White, "Jim Brown's Best Sport Was Lacrosse," ''THE PILOT'' (www.thepilot.com), May 23, 2010. *In 1998 he was inducted into the Ontario, Canada Lacrosse Hall of fame. *In 2000 he was inducted into the Upstate New York Chapter of USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame. *In 2008 he was inducted into the Native American Hall of fame. The ceremony took place at the Seneca Nation Casino in Niagara Falls, NY. *He is Honorary Chairman of the Iroquois Nationals.

Published works

In addition to his writings, Lyons has collaborated on illustrating several children's books by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve. He has written about indigenous issues, economic development and spiritual culture. He is the publisher of ''Daybreak Magazine''. *Lyons, Oren, Donald Grinde, Robert Venables, John Mohawk, Howard Berman,

Vine Deloria Jr. Vine Victor Deloria Jr. (March 26, 1933 – November 13, 2005, Standing Rock Sioux) was an author, theologian, historian, and activist for Native American rights. He was widely known for his book '' Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto ...

, Laurence Hauptman, and Curtis Berkey. ''Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations and the U.S. Constitution. Santa Fe: Clear Light Publications, 1992/reprint1998. . *Lyons, Oren. ''Wilderness in Native American Culture.'' Boise: University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center, 1989. ASIN B00072A6JG. *Oren Lyons, author. ''Voice of Indigenous Peoples: Native People Address the United Nations'', Ewen, Alexander, ed.; Santa Fe: Clear Light Publications, 1993. . *Lyons, Oren, contributor, "Listening to Natural Law." in ''Spiritual Ecology,'' Vaughan-Lee, Llewellyn, ed.; Point Reyes: The Golden Sufi Center, 2013.

Children's books

*Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. (

Brulé Lakota The Brulé are one of the seven branches or bands (sometimes called "sub-tribes") of the Teton (Titonwan) Lakota American Indian people. They are known as Sičhą́ǧu Oyáte (in Lakȟóta) —Sicangu Oyate—, ''Sicangu Lakota, o''r "Burnt T ...

), author, and Oren Lyons, illustrator. ''Jimmy Yellow Hawk.'' Holiday House, 1972. ASIN B001KRU62Y. Oren Lyons."">"Books > Oren Lyons."
''Amazon.com.'' (retrieved 26 Aug 2010) *Lyons, Oren, author and illustrator. ''Dog Story.'' Holiday House, 1973. ASIN B003BGS43K. *Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk, author, and Oren Lyons, illustrator. ''When Thunders Spoke.'' Bison Books, 1993. . *Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk, author, and Oren Lyons, illustrator. ''High Elk's Treasure.'' Holiday House, 1995. .

Other contributions

* Gluckstein, Dana, author;

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

, epilogue; Oren Lyons, introduction;

Archbishop Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and Christian theology, theologian, known for his work as an Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Anglican ...

, foreword. ''Dignity: In Honor of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.'' powerHouse Books, 2010. *Jorgensen, William, ed.; Oren Lyons, foreword. ''Rebuilding Native Nations: Strategies for Governance and Development.'' University of Arizona Press, 2007. .

Notes

References

*Hope, Marjorie and James Young. "Oren Lyons: Wisdom Keeper", in Whitefield, Freddie, ed
''Visionaries: The 20th Century's 100 Most Important Inspirational Leaders.''
White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 2007. .

External links

"Onondaga faithkeeper Oren Lyons speaks out on the environment: 'Business as usual is over'"
Onondaga Nation

* ttps://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/OLatUNin92.html Oren Lyons speech at the United Nations General Assembly Auditorium in New York* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, Oren 1930 births American lacrosse players Iroquois nations lacrosse players Living people Native American activists Native American illustrators Native American painters Native American United States military personnel Onondaga Religious figures of the indigenous peoples of North America Seneca people Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse players Syracuse University College of Visual and Performing Arts alumni United States Army soldiers First Nations sportspeople