Syracuse University Granted Custodianship of Faithkeeper Oren Lyons’ Collection
Syracuse University entered an historic collaborative relationship to steward the Oren Lyons Collection through Syracuse University Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center (SCRC). This landmark agreement of custodianship of the archival papers of Faithkeeper Oren Lyons is the most significant collection of its kind and was celebrated at a ceremonial event on Friday, September 26, 2025, on the Kenneth A. Shaw Quadrangle.
Oren Lyons and SCRC have collaborated to define shared responsibilities for organizing, accessing, preserving, and interpreting the collection, while reaffirming Indigenous nations' rights to manage and control culturally sensitive materials. This collection marks Syracuse University as a trusted repository for Haudenosaunee collections, building on academic leadership and Oren Lyons’ global work, establishing an international model for institutional-Indigenous partnerships.
Oren R. Lyons ’58, H’93 is a world-renowned Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, an Army veteran, a Syracuse University student athlete alumnus, an award-winning lacrosse player, professor emeritus at State University of New York at Buffalo, an artist, an author and a pivotal figure in international advocacy and diplomacy. The Oren Lyons Collection is comprised of archival material documenting Lyons’ engagement in education, lacrosse, the arts, and advocacy for environmental protection and Indigenous rights. Included will be his personal and professional papers along with an extensive collection of photographs, videos and audio recordings.
“Syracuse University Libraries is honored to be granted custodianship of Faithkeeper Oren Lyons’ papers. This is a monumental opportunity for scholarship and research around not only Indigenous studies, but also activism, art, lacrosse, history and environmental studies,” said David Seaman, Dean of Syracuse University Libraries and University Librarian.
The agreement was guided by the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials (First Archivist Circle, 2007) which includes recognition of Indigenous sovereignty; respect for cultural values, spiritual beliefs and traditional knowledge systems; the right of Indigenous nations to define access restrictions or contextual framing of materials; and collaboration in descriptive practices to reflect Indigenous worldviews.
“Oren Lyons Collection and his trust in our institution will enable Syracuse University to serve as a research model, to help create more viable relationships around the world with Indigenous Peoples and the land,” said Philip Arnold, Professor in the Department of Religion in the College of Arts and Sciences. “This will ensure that the Haudenosaunee teachings will continue. This is an awesome responsibility and opportunity.”