Heyhey Nya:wëh Sgë:nö’,
I want to start my message for this newsletter by recognizing a beloved community member. Shortly before our last newsletter was published in late February, our Nation mourned the passing of Rosie Patterson. Rosie was a former Councillor, a longtime community advocate, a respected colleague, and a trusted friend to many within our Nation. Throughout her life, Rosie worked passionately to strengthen our Nation and to support our people. She will be missed.
There has been a lot of discussion in our community lately regarding public safety. This is an important topic that we continue to make a priority. I want to thank everyone who has been productively engaged in advancing this conversation with our community. Let me make one thing clear – I will continue to focus every day on finding effective ways to make sure that our people, our territories, and our community are safe and protected.
In other matters, the Seneca Nation recently received exciting and important news from Washington, when the United States Department of Interior approved our application to place 207 acres of our ancestral homeland on Grand Island into Restricted Fee status. In December, William and Michael Huntress of Acquest Development transferred title to the land to the Nation in exchange for $1, using the Seneca Nation Settlement Act. In making the transfer, the Huntresses acknowledged the Nation as “the rightful owners of Grand Island.”
With the federal government’s approval of our application, this land is now and forever recognized as sovereign Seneca territory. We think there are significant opportunities for how the site can be developed to benefit the long-term future of the Seneca Nation and our people, as well as the surrounding community and region. We look forward to having that discussion with Nation leadership and our people in the future. We’re excited to take this next step in making this piece of our ancestral homelands a vital part of the Seneca Nation’s future. Nya:wëh, again, to Bill and Michael Huntress for helping the Seneca Nation restore this land to Nation ownership for the benefit of our people and our future generations.
Earlier this month, I traveled to Washington to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs regarding the Seneca Nation Law Enforcement Efficiency Act (H.R. 7065), introduced earlier this year by Congressman Nick Langworthy. This important legislation protects our sovereignty by recognizing and strengthening the Nation’s jurisdiction over our own territories. We are encouraging Congress to support and pass this bill and provide the Seneca Nation with another important tool to help protect our people and our community.
The Nation will be very active on the advocacy front throughout this month. I will be back in Washington in the coming days to testify before the House Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee to advocate for priority issues for our Nation. In addition, Nation officials and representatives will be taking our voice and our messages to important conferences and gatherings, including the Reservation Economic Summit, USET Impact Week, the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention.
Here at home, I want to make everyone aware of our Spring Healing Conference, which will be held April 23-25 at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino. Like the Healing Conference we held in December, this important gathering will feature three days of healing, unity and cultural connection. The conference will include community-grounded healing sessions, community connection and support, and tools for resilience and wellness. Thanks to the sponsorship of the Seneca Nation Council, the registration fee for the Healing Conference has been fully waived for enrolled Seneca Nation members.
True healing is a shared journey. If you or someone you care about is struggling and searching for support and a path forward, I encourage you to attend the Healing Conference. When we heal together, we grow stronger together. For questions regarding registration and other information, please send an email to HealingConference@sni.org.
Until next time,
J.C.
