Departments

Seneca Nation Chronology for January

Seneca Nation Archives/Onöhsagwë:de Cultural Center – Allegany Territory

1855, January 25 – At the general election in May of 1854 the chiefs party ticket was elected for the third time since the first general election in 1849. The chiefs’ administration convened a constitutional convention on January 25th to pose the question should they return to the old chief system of government. The convention voted 102 in favor and 96 opposed to a return to a government by chiefs. But the chiefs could not claim victory because they garnered less than the constitutionally required “two-thirds of the legal voters present at such convention” per section 17 of the 1848 charter.

1942, January 20 – In U.S. v Forness, et al, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled the Seneca Nation could enforce cancellation of a lease within the City of Salamanca for non-payment of rent. Frank Forness and his wife had held a lease since 1919, but failed to pay the annual rent of $4 from 1930 to 1939 totaling $44.64 which included the overdue rent and interest. Evidence showed that lessees were customarily lax about paying the annual rent. In 1911 there were 1,095 leases in default; in 1915, 494; and in 1931, 529. Furthermore, the court held “state law cannot be invoked to limit the rights in lands granted by the United States to the Indians, because, . . . state law does not apply to the Indians except so far as the United States has given its consent.” This decision was a major setback to NYS efforts to establish jurisdiction over the Seneca Nation. Occurring at the onset of the Termination Era, the federal government responded by passing Public Law 280 which transferred criminal jurisdiction to state governments.


WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE.

To date there have been 69 Seneca Nation presidents. We have photos of 46, but lack photos for 23.

Every month we will present a little biography of a president for whom we have no photo in hopes you may have access to a photo that you can share with us.

We begin with George W. Seneca (9/3/1886-11/22/1955). His parents were Cornelius Sr. and Alice Seneca from the Cattaraugus Territory. His siblings included Nora/Elnora, Sherman, Berdina, Lemuel, Wilbur, and Cornelius Jr. He attended Tunesassa/Quaker School in 1898. He married Fleta Patterson who also attended Tunesassa and is purported to have attended the Hampton Institute in Virginia. She was the daughter of Frank and Nancy Patterson (Frank Patterson served 8 terms as SNI president). George and Fleta had one child, Evelyn, who was born in 1910. George was elected SNI treasurer in 1918 and president in 1920.

You can contact Archives Manager Rebecca Bowen at the Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center, telephone 945-1760, ext. 7849, Becky.Bowen@sni.org Nya:wëh.