Syracuse Sun

Recent Maxwell graduate Isabelle Lutz, an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin, has found opportunities to connect with Indigenous leaders in Syracuse through the “Listen to the Elders” talks and the Not in the Books project. Last fall, Lutz joined other Syracuse University students and community members for a visit to the Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center in Liverpool, where Onondaga Hawk Clan Chief Spencer Ohsgoñ:da’ Lyons spoke about Haudenosaunee history and shared traditional foods.

“We’re not a people of the past,” Lyons stated. “The Haudenosaunee are still the Haudenosaunee. We have our language; we have our songs.”

Lutz emphasized how these events complement her studies. “So much of Native American studies or Indigenous studies can be taught from a historical/past context when the people, traditions, and cultures are still present and active in the community,” said Lutz ’24.

The “Listen to the Elders” series began in 2022 under Not in the Books, a University group fostering learning relationships between Syracuse University and Haudenosaunee peoples. The Maxwell School supports this initiative with funding from its Tenth Decade Project.

“The Tenth Decade awards have energized and enabled interdisciplinary research around critical themes to the Maxwell School,” said Carol Faulkner, professor of history at Maxwell.

Notable contributors to Not in the Books include Diane Schenandoah, Heather Law Pezzarossi, Jim O’Connor, Patricia Roylance, and Aaron Luedtke. Law Pezzarossi’s work addresses colonial history while serving contemporary Indigenous needs. Luedtke focuses his research on Great Lakes native peoples' histories as resistance to colonial erasure.

Diane Schenandoah initiated Not in the Books after connecting with Native students and professors at Syracuse University. She also leads various cultural events on campus.

Freida Jacques, Onondaga Turtle Clan Mother Whatwehni:neh, contributes significantly to these efforts by sharing her life experiences during presentations at Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center. Supported by grants from Maxwell’s Tenth Decade Project among others, Jacques’s sessions cover topics like boarding schools' impact on Indigenous communities.

Chief Spencer Lyons continued this educational series into 2023-24 with discussions on Haudenosaunee traditions and governance.

For further details, please visit the Maxwell website.

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