Oren Lyons is the Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan, Onondaga Council of Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee
For this post i decided to continue following the Haudenosaunee people because I find their philosophies very interesting and I think they are an exemplary tribe. I read about the Tree of Peace and significance of the natural world in Haudenosaunee worldview in the 1991 Bill Moyers interview with Faithkeeper Oren Lyons. I believe this source was created to educate people on the views of the Haudenosaunee people and for people to know how important it is to be able to break down the barriers created by discrimination and prejudice. It reflects on how important it is to remain unified in order to survive and prosper. and finally, the importance of peace. I think this source is a great academic source because besides being the faith keeper of the Onondaga Nation Oren Lyons was a professor of American Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo where he directed the Native American Studies Program and reached undergraduate courses in Surveys of Native American History and a Native American Studies Colloquium. Which is very related to our class. Oren as a leader,professor and faithkeeper for his people is an excellent person to study due to all his achievements through the years.
Oren Lyons begins the interview with powerful words of wisdom :
“We can't afford, now, to have these national borders. We can't afford to have racism. We can't afford apartheid. We cannot -- it's one of those luxuries that we can't have anymore as human beings. We've got to think now, in real terms, for that seventh generation. And we've got to move in concert. We've got to sing the same song. We've got to have the same ceremony. We've got to get back to spiritual law if we are to survive.”
This source was very educational and inspiring for me. Just like all the knowledge I have gained through this course. It has solidified my perspective on native culture and most importantly it has reminded me how important is to be connected to my spirit and the great spirit that guides my days.
http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/OL070391.html
http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/6Nations/OL070391.html
The Oren Lyons contains some information that is not taught in High School but I believe should be because of its relevance in United States history. The meeting that took place between the Six Nation Chiefs and early American leaders shows an early connection and cooperation between the two cultures. Ben Franklin was personally influenced by this experience and his input to the creation of the United States is well known. I also enjoy the story of the breaking of a single arrow by the Chief then demonstrating the strength of the five arrows bound together. This is a wonderful example of the strength of unity and cooperation. Historian Dan Carlin talks of famous Mongol leader Genghis Khan using a similar example with arrows to demonstrate the strength of united clans in his podcast "Wrath of the Khans". It is unfortunate that unity and cooperation between Native American Tribes and the U.S. Government did not follow this example.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first learned of Oren Lyons and watched the video in Module 1, I was awed by his stature, respectful nature, and the way in which he handled and explained material that could otherwise become volatile. I became so enthralled by his words and the meaning behind his words that the time passed without me ever becoming bored. I can't believe that he taught in a school just 50 minutes or so away from my home. How those students that he taught must have been inspired and how lucky those programs and campus was to have such an amazing person on the forefront.
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