Nya:wëh sgënö,
I’m thankful you are well. I’d like to recognize our recent college graduates. This year the Seneca Nation Higher Education Department honored 34 graduates in fields such as Business Administration, Nursing, Counseling, Public health and sports management to name a few. We are very proud of these individuals on their accomplishments and wish them well as they continue to pursue their goals.
This month is also recognizing nurses for their dedication and compassion to their patients. This year’s theme is “nurses make a difference”. They definitely make recovery better for everyone.
Equally important are those working in the Emergency Medical Service field. EMS week marks the 50th anniversary of the first recognition week. Their theme is “Honoring Our Past”, referencing those who set the path for everything in place today.
This year is also the 60th anniversary of the Seneca Women’s right to vote. On May 23rd, 1964 a referendum was passed by a count of 169 in favor to 99 against allowing this right.
We also honor those who served and lost their lives in military service this month. We are thankful for their service and true patriotism they had for their country. Although it is a time for family gatherings, consider the true meaning of the day and pay homage to their sacrifice.
This week the Council and Executives have released the budget packet to Program Directors. This is in preparation for the 2025 budget year. This allows Directors to project program costs, activities and staffing needs for service. It will be the official kick off to the budget season and will take approximately 4 months to prepare for passage by the Council.
Stay safe and stay strong, Dah ne’hoh dih ae’
~Matthew B. Pagels
