‘Cuse Conversations Episode 123: Diane Schenandoah ’11 Shares Indigenous Principles and Practices as Honwadiyenawa’sek (One Who Helps Them) at the Barnes Center

Original air date: Nov. 8, 2022 Diane Schenandoah ’11 joined the staff at Syracuse University last July as Honwadiyenawa’sek—the Haudenosaunee word for “one who helps them.” Firmly rooted in her Haudenosaunee heritage—her mother was a clan mother of Oneida Nation’s wolf clan; her father an Onondaga Nation chief—Schenandoah brings teachings of gratitude, faith, peace and inner resilience to students who meet with her. As Honwadiyenawa’sek, she offers a range of healing modalities, including energy work and acupressure, art therapy, dream interpretation, tuning forks, and ritualistic smudging with sage and tobacco, to help students find their center in today’s hectic world. On this ’Cuse Conversation, Shenandoah shares about her life growing up on Oneida Nation lands with her close-knit family; her spiritual principles and practices; her role as faithkeeper; her art and singing careers; and her experience at Syracuse since joining the team at the Barnes Center.