A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Ernest Benedict's children, Daniel and Becky Benedict.
Artist Dave Fadden, Becky Benedict, Jason Roundpoint, Ernest's granddaughter Luz Benedict and Daniel Benedict.
Several of Ernest Benedict's grandchildren and great-grandchildren – his legacy.
Pictured left, Artist Nadirah Croft with the only living honoree, Dr. Margaret Kent Bass. Dr. Bass was St. Lawrence University's Director of Multicultural Affairs in 1993.
By Kaniehtonke.
Family, friends and academia gathered at the SLU Brush Gallery on Friday, January 19th to unveil three new portraits honoring the lives and contributions of three St. Lawrence University community members; most notably Ernest Benedict.
The "Portraying St. Lawrence" is an arts-based project focused on documenting who is represented in official portraiture and expanding representations of women and people of color in campus portraiture.
In 1941, Ernest Benedict was the first Indigenous student to graduate from St. Lawrence University. As an elder of the Mohawk Nation, his influence as an educator, traditional leader and enduring force in social and community development continues to influence Aboriginal people across the globe.
Throughout his life, Ernest worked tirelessly against Indigenous oppression. To battle oppression, the late Ray Fadden and Ernest Benedict worked with Mohawk youth to form the Akwesasne Mohawk Counsellor Organization. Over many years the group travelled throughout the eastern part of North America and these travels would lead them to develop the unity caravans of the early 1960s and then to the formation of the White Roots of Peace, which reignited Indigenous sovereignty and self-identity across the continent, educating mainstream society and their view of "Indians."
As a renowned activist, Benedict was one of the founding members of Akwesasne Notes, and leading it to become one of the largest and most influential native newspapers in the world. Benedict, along with Michael K. Mitchell also created the North Native American Traveling College and as partners they revived the national identity of the Mohawk Nation.
The Benedict and Fadden families go back generations. As a teenager, Benedict came into contact with the late, great teacher Ray Tehanetorens Fadden. Together they worked to educate, enlighten and inspire an entire generation by reawakening the identity of the Mohawk Nation.
Dave Kanietakeron Fadden, Ray Fadden's grandson was commissioned to paint Benedict's portrait, is Ray's grandson. Fadden stated, "I was honored to paint Mohawk Ernest Kaientaronkwen Benedict's portrait for the St. Lawrence University "Portraying St. Lawrence exhibition."
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