Tom Porter Receives Honorary Doctorate From Syracuse University

A global business leader and champion of the underserved; a civil rights activist and prominent attorney; a leading scholar in wireless communications; a preservationist of Native American culture; and a visionary artist of contemporary issues were awarded honorary degrees by Syracuse University for their accomplishments and outstanding life's work. Frank Bisignano, Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Vincent Poor, Thomas Porter Sakokwenionkwas, 'The One Who wins', and Carrie Mae Weems, were honored at Syracuse University's 163rd Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 14, 2017 in the Carrier Dome.

Thomas Porter Sakokwenionkwas, 'The One Who Wins', was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters at the Commencement Ceremony. Porter is a Bear Clan elder of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, but his lifelong commitment to preserving Native American traditions and beliefs extends across North America. He has worked tirelessly in the cultural preservation and community education of the Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse-and also in his efforts to educate non-Haudenosaunee members about the long history and cultural traditions of his community.

Founder, spokesperson and spiritual leader of the Mohawk Community of Kanatsiohareke near Fonda, New York, Porter was the sub-chief for the Tehanakarine Chieftainship title of the Mohawk Nation for 21 years (1971-92). He was influential in the founding of the Akwesasne Freedom School, where he was also a director and a teacher, and taught at the Kahnawake Survival School. Porter taught Mohawk language, philosophy and history at both schools. The schools provide the usual coursework but through the lens of a traditional Mohawk worldview and an emphasis on keeping the Mohawk language and traditions alive.

In the 1960s, to revitalize Native traditions, Porter helped organize "White Roots of Peace," a group of Iroquois Elders who toured the country sharing traditional teachings and encouraging Indians to embrace their respective Native traditions. He continues to lecture about and share the oral traditions of his culture and its stories with people everywhere, while also informing audiences about the challenges facing Native American peoples. He created a program in which college students perform community services at Kanatsiohareke during a one-week residency in return for presentations on indigenous history and philosophy with a Haudenosaunee perspective.

Porter served as secretary for the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs for eight years and as interpreter for 11 years, still helping to assist when needed. He was the Native American consultant for the New York State Penitentiary System and chaplain for all of the Native inmates in the New York State Penal System for 10 years.

The author of several books and pamphlets teaching about Mohawk traditions and spirituality, including "And Grandma Said ... Iroquois Teachings as Passed Down by the Oral Tradition," Porter has received numerous recognitions and awards for his work. These include recognition from Cornell University for his dedication for the protection of Native Lifeways; the Twenty-First Gamaliel Chair in Peace and Justice Award, for his work in improving the welfare of the Mohawk nation; the Rothko Chapel Award for commitment to truth and freedom; and an honorary doctor of laws degree from Trent University in Peterborough, Canada.

This is Porter's second honorary doctors award this year. Porter was recently awarded the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and the Granite Award from Keene State College, NY in April 2017.