Lawrence John Janis is a Native American Lakota who was born and raised on the Pine Ridge reservation and who has served his tribe as a substance abuse counselor specialist for children and adults for over 40 years.

He has a degree in Human Services and was an assistant director of Project Star, a tribal program to bring awareness about drug and alcohol abuse, child and adult abuse, elderly abuse and other abuses that were seldom talked about in the reservation. He aired interviews with guests and created awareness about program resources on the Lakota radio station KILI Radio, a non-profit radio station at the Pine Ridge reservation.

A very spiritually-driven man, he chose to pick-up the Lakota spiritual way of life. Through the practices and rituals of the Lakota spiritual lifestyle, walking in prayer and spiritual guidance, he believes that we are spiritual beings walking on this earth in our physical form.

His poems have been broadcasted and narrated on KILI radio over the years. His poetry "Broken Promises" had won a national award from the National Native Media.

Lawrence was an Army Vietnam Era veteran who honorably served our country for three years.