Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne & Hodulgee Muscogee) advocates for American Indian rights and is also the guest curator and general editor for, "Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indian Nation," a book at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, she has gained back over a million acres of Native land throughout her time while also promoting and protecting Native nations, cultures, sacred places, and religious freedoms. [1] More, Harjo also fights to reduce poverty, unemployment, and alcoholism in Native communities. Since the the 1960s, Harjo has used her voice in the fight against sports teams who use Indian mascots. What she is most known for is the filing of a lawsuit with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to stop the NFL team "Washington Redskins," from using that name and logo. Harjo and other advocates stated it was demeaning to their culture and the office agreed with her that the case merited further study. [2]
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Oren Lyons has advocated all over the world for environmental justice and treaty recognitions neglected by the U.S. government. In the '60s, Oren joined a group and teamed up with other Native American activists to bring more attention to indigenous rights and struggles. That group was called the "Red Power Movement." What Oren did in the 1970s is what got him recognized the most. He took a leadership role in something called "Trail of Broken Treaties." This was a caravan that went to Washington D.C., to voice themselves to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. They brought attention to traditional practices and the native culture. More, Oren was a professor at State University of New York-Buffalo teaching American Studies and being director of the Native American Studies program. Throughout Oren's activist work, he has published many articles, and books. To this day, he continues to advocate for Native and environmental rights and is well respected. [4]
Oren Lyons advocacy webpage: http://www.7genfund.org/oren-lyons
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Winona Laduke fights for Native land and environmental rights. She graduated from Harvard University and began fighting for American Indian rights after meeting an activist at the age of 18. She started by getting involved in a lawsuit in Minnesota that would try to regain land that was promised to the Native people by an 1867 federal treaty. After several years of fighting, she ended up failing and the case was eventually dismissed. That prompted LaDuke to creating the "White Earth Land Recovery Project." The project aims to recover native land, preserve and restore traditional practices and strengthen spiritual and cultural heritage. LaDuke also advocates for Native women and helps empower them through participating in political, social, and cultural processes. In 1998, she was acknowledged by Ms. Magazine, naming her Woman of the Year. [3]
Visit her website at: http://www.honorearth.org/speaking_engagements
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Lloyd Kiva New is a Cherokee artist who's known best for his work with fashion, art, design, and developing innovative concepts in culturally-based education for Native people. In the 1950s, New earned national acclaim for clothing, handbags, and printed textiles. In the early 60s, he switched career paths and decided to accept the position of Art Director at the then new Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). He was director until his retirement in 1978, and even after his retirement he was still active in the Native arts community. Ways he stayed active was by serving on the Indian Arts and Crafts board, several national museums boards, and engaging in speaking and writing engagements world-wide. He passed away in 2002 but his designs, clothing and artwork still live on. Ways he impacted the Native American community is by bringing attention to the culture and practices through his artwork, and clothing designs. [5]
Visit his collection at: https://iaia.edu/event/lloyd-kiva-new-art-design-and-influence/
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Text Citations
[1] Schilling, Vincent. “Fight the Power: 8 Contemporary Heroes and Leaders of Native Resistance.” IndianCountryToday.com, Indian Country Today, 22 Oct. 2014, newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/fight-the-power-8-contemporary-heroes-and-leaders-of-native-resistance-wDvfDH2HIE25eUK3eqb8rw/.
[2] "Suzan Shown Harjo." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 09 April 2019. <http://biography.yourdictionary.com/suzan-shown-harjo>.
[3] “LaDuke, Winona.” National Women's Hall of Fame, www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/winona-laduke/.
[4] “Oren Lyons.” Oren Lyons | Americans Who Tell The Truth, www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/portraits/oren-lyons.
[5] “Lloyd Kiva New: Art, Design, and Influence > Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA).” Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), iaia.edu/event/lloyd-kiva-new-art-design-and-influence/.
Picture Citations
[1] Suzan Shown Harjo: https://prabook.com/web/suzan_shown.harjo/76201
[2] “Winona LaDuke.” Research and Education in Energy, Environment and Water, www.buffalo.edu/renew/Lecture/Winona-LaDuke.html.
[3] “Oren Lyons.” Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, Inc. , www.7genfund.org/oren-lyons.
[4] “Lloyd Kiva New.” Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Lloyd “Kiva” New, Alex Jacobs, 16 Apr. 2016, newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/archive/celebrating-the-100th-anniversary-of-the-birth-of-lloyd-kiva-new--AuHYL862kmzdXIQEuRe-Q/.