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Every Child Matters Walk – Allegany

By Tami Watt, Editor

STEAMBURG, NY- The Seneca Nation Behavioral Health Unit hosted a walk in remembrance of lives lost due to the abusive practices of residential school. This past year, hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children were uncovered at former boarding school sites across the United States and Canada.

The walk was well attended by youth in summer programs including; The Faithkeeper School, the Allegany Education Dept. Summer Program, and the Ceremonial Dept. Summer Program. Many community members, elders, as well as Seneca Nation officials and Seneca Gaming executives were in attendance as well.

Casey Allen, Child and Family Program Coordinator, welcomed the crowd, offered information, and handed out goody bags for participants. Blaine Tallchief gave the Ganönyok for all. Busses for elders followed the walkers around the North and South Loops in the Steamburg Community. Lunch was provided after the walk at the Steamburg Community Center.

Initiated by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, the first 215 were found at the Kamloops Residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. Since then, various Nations have unearthed more unmarked graves using ground penetrating technology. Repatriations are taking place across Turtle Island as nations are bringing their children home in traditional style. Proper burials and ceremonies can now take place for the children that were never sent home and loved ones can finally have peace.

“As a parent of a children who have, or are currently attending FKS, it was important to me for my children to participate in the walk because they need to understand not only how fortunate we are to live at this time but also why we place such great emphasis on the kind of education they receive at the Faithkeeper School. ¬¬¬Although they’re too young to fully understand why some of the children never came home from the residential boarding schools, it’s vital to know where we come from so we can know where we’re going,” shared Brett Maybee, participant.

Seneca Nation Territory was home to two residential/boarding schools. One on Allegany Territory, the Tunesassa Friends /Quaker School and the other on Cattaraugus Territory, the Thomas Indian School aka “Salem” after the original moniker- the Thomas Indian Asylum for Orphaned and Destitute Children.

The Tunessasa Friends/Quaker School was established around 1800 on the Allegany Territory after Chief Cornplanter encouraged the Quakers to teach Seneca children the ways of the white man with farming, sewing, reading, and writing. Many local students attended during the day, however, records show some children- mainly from out of the area that were boarders or lived on grounds. Research suggests the Quakers were more interested in “civilizing the Indian” rather than converting their faith and ways to Christianity.

The Thomas Indian School was a boarding school established by Asher and Laura Wright in 1855 after taking in Seneca orphaned children due to an illness that swept through the Cattaraugus Territory. Soon, the establishment was receiving State funding and had a sprawling campus complete with a farm, boarding houses, and a school. Many students as young as four were taken from Seneca homes deemed unfit, however, some were orphaned with no other place to call home. They were all put to work in an effort to get them ready for American citizenship. Boys were put to work outside, girls inside. Housing conditions were crowded and poor and instances of physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect have been shared by survivors in various interviews and documentaries. The school closed its doors in 1938. The Seneca Nation libraries have more information available on the history and conditions of the school. Some buildings from the school remain today, the current Seneca Nation Courts are housed in the former infirmary that has since been reconstructed. Former students/survivors have established a group that still meets yearly.