WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) announced they will be honoring Oren Lyons with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chairman’s Leadership Luncheon as part of the 2022 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in Anaheim, CA.
Each year the award is presented to a Native American individual who has shown an exceptional representation in Indian Country.
“We want to celebrate Oren Lyon’s outstanding contribution throughout Indian Country. His leadership in Indian Country has been recognized as a world-renowned leader and visionary for peace, justice, and sovereignty,” said Ernie Stevens, Jr., Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association. “He is a great mentor to many throughout Indian Country.”
Oren Lyons is a Faith keeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation in New York and has worked with Indigenous Peoples worldwide and the United Nations to recognize Indigenous rights. He has addressed the UN General Assembly and other gatherings of world leaders, is a member of the advisory committee for the UN Environment Program and continues to share the wisdom of the Haudenosaunee as a speaker, author, publisher, and board member of the Traditional Circle of Indian Elders and Youth, as well as the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development.
Lyons is the author of several books and a global lecturer. He is also a prominent member of the UN Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders and retired Professor Emeritus of American Indian Studies, SUNY Buffalo.
Lyons is also a celebrated artist and painter, a member of the Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and an activist for American Indian and environmental causes. He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, the United Nations NGO World Peace Prize, Smithsonian’s award for Art and Cultural Achievement, and Sweden’s Prestigious Friend of the Children Award.
