Lennons and Rt 81 (1971)

 

John and Yoko with Chief Oren Lyons (next to John) and Leon Shenandoah

Lennons and Rt 81

No Writer listed

Syracuse New Times

October 14, 1971

    The state of New York, in its continuing efforts to secure land from the Onondaga Indian Nation to widen Route 81, last week made additional offers of money and land in return for the right-of-way on Reservation land.

     As was the case with previous state offers, the Onondagas turned them down flat. Chief William Lazore explained the decision, saying, "The problem involves more than just this land. Federal and state governments must be made to stop their encroachment on all Indian territories. Our Western and Canadian brothers are looking to the Iroquois to take the first step to secure the rights guaranteed Indians by lawful treaties."  He added that the Onondaga Nation has never broken a treaty with the United States. 

    The broad base of support for the Onondaga broadened even more on Sunday, when John Lennon and Yoko Ono visited the Reservation. The Lennons spoke in conference with several chiefs, then got a guided tour of the highway site where demonstrations halted construction last month. They announced their intention to establish a "John and Yoko Foundation "that would save money ordinarily siphoned off into taxes and allotted to people in need of it instead. 

    Yoko listened to the long history of broken treaties, shook her head, and said, "You believe in people too much."

     "I still believe in people," Chief  Oren Lyons replied. "We think the government of the United States has passed from the hands of the people, but we still believe that the people of the United States can tell the difference between right and wrong."

     Lennon agreed, "The Americans can still be the greatest people on Earth, if they can somehow turn the country around. "

    Chief Lyons ended the meeting by thanking the Lennons and the "many people who have helped us, publicly and privately," for their support. The meeting was filmed by Channel Nine News for ABC Television. 

    Later, Audrey Shenandoah said that the Onondagas were pleased with the Lennons' visit and the international attention it would bring. She added that they would just have to wait and see what effects it would have on their struggle. 

    Her attitude was shared by Wandering River, a young Indian from Alberta who traveled to Onondaga to help out when he heard about the highway dispute. After the publicity died down, he said, "The basic problem of Indian autonomy would remain. I'm going to try to get a bunch of kids together in a van next summer and travel all over North America to wherever there's hassles. We're not doing this for headlines." He concluded, "This is real."