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CORVALLIS - Oren Lyons, a traditional Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan (Onandaga/Iroquois), will give a free public presentation on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Oregon State University as part of the Native American Philosophies course and lecture series.

His talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Gilfillan Auditorium.

Over the last three decades, Lyons has gained national recognition for his leadership and advocacy on Native American issues. He is a professor of American Studies at the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he directs the Native American Studies program.

Lyons also lectures around the nation on Iroquois tribal relations, human rights, law, history and environmental stewardship. For years, he has participated in meetings of indigenous peoples in Geneva under the Human Rights Commission of the U.S., and assisted with the development of a working group on indigenous populations.

A graduate of Syracuse University's College of Fine Arts, Lyons is a painter whose works have been widely exhibited. On the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage, he published a major study of Native Americans and democracy called "Exiled in the Land of the Free." He was the source of a one-hour documentary interview by Bill Moyers on PBS.

The Native American Philosophies course is organized by the OSU Department of Ethnic Studies and the OSU Department of Philosophy. It is supported by The Spirit Mountain Community Fund, the OSU-based Spring Creek Project, the Hundere Endowment, and the University Honors College.