I was inspired by two thoughts. I wanted to celebrate the cultural importance of the Haudenosaunee people and the significance of Lake Onondaga as a sacred place to the Iroquois. I was also inspired by the marketing campaign “Come Home to Syracuse,” which encourages successful business people and recent graduates to return to their hometown.

Just as the traditions of the Iroquois and the lakefront have been all but forgotten by modern society, so too has the city been abandoned by people migrating elsewhere. I would love to see the Haudenosaunee return to the lakefront and commemorate its importance with a monument, and for those who have left our city to return to share their talents and rebuild their homeland.