Facts:   - jr/sr: united states senator    - party: democrat    - predecessor: none on indian affairs -rrb- joseph c. o'mahoney in 1947 -lrb- senate committee      - succeeded: larry pressler james abdnor    - birth date: 24 february 1931    - birthname: james george abourezk    - profession: attorney    - order: chairman of the senate select committee on indian affairs    - district: south dakota 2 2nd    - term end: january 3 , 1979 3 , 1979 january 3 , 1973 january    - birth place: wood , south dakota    - successor: john melcher    - state: south dakota south dakota    - alma mater: south school of law dakota school of mines university of south dakota    - imagesize: 210px    - preceded: karl e. mundt e. y. berry    - term start: january 3 , 1977 3 , 1973 january 3 , 1971 january    - religion: greek orthodox   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of james abourezk .
james george abourezk -lrb- born february 24 , 1931 -rrb- is a former democratic united states representative and united states senator , and was the first greek orthodox christian of lebanese-antiochite descent to serve in the united states senate , where he was generally viewed as critical of us foreign policy in the middle-east and north africa -lrb- mena -rrb- area -- notably regarding palestine and israel .he represented south dakota in the u.s. senate from 1973 until 1979 .