Mary Lyons; Her professional portfolio is a wealth of knowledge, but her heart for adoption and foster care has deeply saturated her personal life. She has fostered children with disabilities for more than 30 years. Mary is an Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Expert Witness, Native American Family and Child Advocate for the Tribes, Co-founder of the “Celebrating the Native Child conferences”, creator of NA-CHUGS, Native American Children Having Unique Group Support. Her on-going support of wellness in women has became a reality, teaming up with "Women Of Wellbriety, Int'l" as a Grandmother Council member. Mary continues lending her expertise as a United Nations Delegate and speaks on behalf of Indigenous communities. Mary also is the founder of the Minnesota Coalition on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome ([email protected]) in Indian country. Amidst those commitments, she finds time to do presentations on cultural issues of native children in foster care and adoption to such audiences of the PEW Commission and the Juvenile Justice of the US. Being a great-grandmother has brought new meaning to life as she delivers her "Talking Circle" support to the wellness of families. Amongst her many awards, she is most proud of her "Congressional Adoption Award", she recieved in Washington DC, which Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota had nominated her for.