About this Event
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In this talk, Betty Lyons Hill (Onondaga Nation, Snipe Clan) examines how the Doctrine of Christian Discovery continues to shape law, policy, and public ethics in the United States and beyond. Rooted in fifteenth-century church decrees, this doctrine framed non-Christian lands and peoples as available for domination, extraction, and control. Its legacy still appears in property law, environmental harm, and the ongoing denial of Indigenous sovereignty.
Speaking from the lived experience of the Onondaga Nation, Betty Lyons connects this history to present-day struggles over land, water, and responsibility, including the desecration and restoration efforts surrounding Onondaga Lake. She contrasts the logic of domination embedded in the Doctrine of Discovery with Indigenous ethical frameworks grounded in relationality, responsibility, and care for future generations.
This talk invites the NYSEC community to reflect on what ethical accountability looks like when harmful legal and religious ideas remain active in modern systems—and what it means to tell the truth, repair harm, and act responsibly today.
American Indian Law Alliance welcomes your support. To find ways to get involved in AILA’s work, or to make a financial gift, please visit aila.ngo.
About Betty Lyons
Gaeñ hia uh, Betty (Lyons) Hill, (Onondaga Nation, Snipe Clan), Executive Director of the American Indian Law Alliance, is an Indigenous and environmental activist and citizen of the Onondaga Nation. During her time at AILA, Betty has worked on numerous issues, including: advocating for the Rights of Mother Earth, Treaty support, educating on the Doctrine of Discovery, advocates for Indigenous Nations and peoples at the United Nations, Right to Self Determination and Sovereignty, teaching the Indigenous history of women’s rights, honoring the Two Row Wampum Treaty in New York City, polishing the Covenant Chain with the United States as part of the Canandaigua Treaty obligations. Betty continues to work for the protection of Indigenous peoples who are fighting to protect their traditions, territories, resources, and care for Mother Earth. Betty has worked for the Onondaga Nation for over 20 years.
Ms. Lyons has served as a member of the Haudenosaunee External Relations Committee and a participant in the annual United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) since the first session. Out of her concern for Indigenous peoples and Mother Earth, Betty serves on numerous boards, including: the Connie Hogarth Center, The MOST, the National Institute for Law and Justice Skä•noñh- Great Law of Peace Center and is Co-Chair of the Center of Earth Ethics.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street, New York, United States
USD 0.00
