American Indigenous Democracy: A Call for Interdependence

Oren Lyons is a revered Faith Keeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, a prominent Indigenous rights and environmental activist, and a leading voice for Native American culture and traditions on the global stage, known for his advocacy at the UN, his role as a National Lacrosse Hall of Famer, and as a professor and artist. As a Faith Keeper, his duty involves preserving and teaching the history, wisdom, and spiritual laws of his people, acting as a bridge between traditional Indigenous knowledge and the modern world, focusing on intergenerational responsibility and harmony with the Earth.

Katsi Cook is an Ohnwehon: we traditional midwife, Elder, and executive director of Spirit Aligned Leadership Program. She is a Wolf Clan member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. Katsi is an advocate of Indigenous women's health across the life cycle, drawing from a Longhouse traditionalist perspective the teaching of Woman Is the First Environment. Her groundbreaking environmental research of Mohawk mother's milk revealed the harmful intergenerational impact of industrial chemicals on the health and well-being of the community.

Jose Barreiro is a novelist, essayist, journalist, and activist. He was born in Jayama, Camagüey Province, Cuba, and resides on the Akwesasne (St. Regis Mohawk) reservation located between (lands presently known as) the state of New York, USA, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. He is a member of the Taíno Nation. His four-decade career is dedicated to sociocultural issues and the defense and well-being of Indigenous peoples of the American hemisphere. He was a editor-in-chief of Akwe: kon Press/Native Americas at Cornell University, served as director of historical and cultural research and director of the Office for Latin America at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, and was senior editor of Indian Country Today. José has published hundreds of articles in magazines, newspapers, anthologies, newsletters, and specialized publications on the subject of American indigeneity.