Oren Lyons facts for kids

Oren R. Lyons Jr., born in 1930, is a respected leader and teacher from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people. He is a "Faithkeeper" of the Wolf Clan for both the Onondaga Nation and the Seneca Nation. This means he helps keep their traditions and beliefs alive.

For many years, he has worked with the United Nations to protect the rights of Indigenous peoples around the world. He was also a very talented lacrosse player in college.

Early Life, Education, and Sports

Oren Lyons grew up learning the ways of the Seneca and Onondaga nations in what is now New York.

Oren Lyons, dancing at evening camp fire, Camp Onondaga, Long Lake, NY, 1947.

He received a scholarship to play lacrosse at Syracuse University. He was an amazing player and was named an All-American. His team even went undefeated in his final year! Famous athlete Jim Brown was also on his team. Oren graduated from Syracuse in 1958 with a degree in Fine Arts.

After college, Oren continued to play lacrosse for different teams. He also worked in New York City as an art and planning director for a greeting card company. He even showed his own paintings in art exhibits. In 1970, he moved back to Onondaga to reconnect with his heritage.

Later, Oren Lyons became a professor of American Studies at the University at Buffalo. He taught many students about Native American history and culture.

Working for Indigenous Rights

In the 1960s, Oren Lyons became very active in the Red Power movement. This movement worked to get better rights and respect for Native American people. He traveled across the country with the "Unity Caravan" to talk about traditional tribal values.

In 1972, he helped lead the "Trail of Broken Treaties." This was a trip to Washington, D.C., where Native American leaders tried to get the government to honor old agreements.

Oren Lyons also met famous musicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1971. They wanted to help with a protest against a highway being built through the Onondaga Reservation.

In 1977, he helped start the "Traditional Circle of Indian Elders and Youth." This group meets every year to discuss important issues. That same year, he was part of a group of Iroquois representatives at the first World Conference on Racism. He realized that defending his own people meant defending indigenous people everywhere.

In 1981, he visited New Zealand and met with Māori people who were fighting for their land rights. He shared his experiences and learned from theirs.

For over 14 years, Oren Lyons attended meetings at the United Nations in Geneva. He helped create the Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982. This group works to protect the rights of indigenous people worldwide. He also played a role in solving the Oka crisis in 1990, which was a land dispute involving the Mohawk people in Canada.

In 1992, Oren Lyons spoke to the United Nations General Assembly. He helped start the "International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples."

Featured in Films

Oren Lyons has been featured in several films. He appeared in the documentary Faithkeeper (1991), which was shown on PBS. He was also in The 11th Hour (2007), a film about the environment narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Awards and Honors

Oren Lyons has received many awards for his important work. Syracuse University gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. In 2007, a building at the university was named Oren Lyons Hall in his honor.

He has also received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the National Audubon Society's Audubon Medal, and the United Nations' Earth Day International Award. In 2022, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Gaming Association.

For his amazing lacrosse career, Oren Lyons has been recognized many times:

• 1988: He was inducted into the Syracuse University Hall of Fame.
• 1989: The NCAA named him Man of the Year in Lacrosse.
• 1993: He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
• 1998: He joined the Ontario, Canada Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
• 2000: He was inducted into the Upstate New York Chapter of USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
• 2008: He was inducted into the Native American Hall of Fame.
• 2023: He received the Order of Sport, which means he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame for helping build the sport of lacrosse.

Books and Writings

Oren Lyons has written about indigenous issues, economic development, and spiritual culture. He is also the publisher of Daybreak Magazine.

He has also worked on several children's books, often as an illustrator:

• Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk, author, and Oren Lyons, illustrator. Jimmy Yellow Hawk. Holiday House, 1972.
• Lyons, Oren, author and illustrator. Dog Story. Holiday House, 1973.
• 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.

See also

In Spanish: Oren Lyons para niños