Heyhey Nya:wëh Sgë:nö’,
I hope everyone had a nice Easter and that many of you have been enjoying the Cattaraugus Community Fair these past few days.
March was a busy time, with several important conferences and events locally and across the country. The annual Reservation Economic Summit – or RES – took place in late March, attracting a large crowd of representatives and officials from Native Nations across the United States, as well as members of Congress, officials from federal agencies, and business leaders. It is always encouraging and enlightening to see and hear from so many different leaders from across Indian Country and to talk about the paths and opportunities that are ahead of us – from business and tourism to energy, infrastructure and beyond.
During the conference, I took part in a panel discussion entitled “The Box to the Boardroom: Indigenous Ownership in Professional Sports” discussing our experience to date as the owners of the Rochester Knighthawks. (Speaking of the Knighthawks, they will be at KeyBank Center tomorrow night taking on the Buffalo Bandits!)
After RES was over, the annual Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention took place the following week. Once again, leaders from Native Nations and Native gaming entities gathered to discuss the changing and challenging landscape in the gaming industry and to get a look at new products and services available for our gaming and hospitality properties. I was again asked to participate in a panel discussion, this one entitled “Protecting Tribal Sovereignty, Economies and Communities in the 2026 Midterm Elections.” There are certainly many issues for Indian Country to watch in this year’s federal election cycle, not to mention, for us, in New York’s statewide election in November.
Back at home, the Nation welcomed Dr. Rodney Haring and several of his colleagues from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center for an announcement of a three-year grant Roswell Park received from Eli Lilly and Company to promote lung health and wellness in Native workplaces across North America. The Nation has been an active participant in Roswell’s Workplace Health Education Program, which brings important tools to our people to help them start their lung health journey.
As we know, Native communities have some of the highest rates of cancer and cancer-related deaths of any population group for several types of cancer. If we are going to break the cycle of elevated rates of disease, like cancer, plaguing Native communities, we need (Continued on next page)
leaders, partners and advocates like Dr. Haring and the team at Roswell Park, who have the knowledge, experience and ability to help our people navigate the challenges and the barriers to care that Native people often confront.
While physical health and wellness are critically important, so too are mental and emotional health. That will be the focus of our Spring Healing Conference at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino later this month. The theme of the conference is “Voice of Wisdom. Stories of Resilience. Pathways to Healing.” This three-day conference will feature cultural teachings, a powerful lineup of speakers, and meaningful opportunities to connect, share, and promote resilience, well-being and strength.
I hope that anyone from our community who is in need of support and encouragement as they progress along their personal healing journey will attend the conference. For more information, email HealingConference@sni.org, or call Christina Porter at 716-945-1790m ext. 3003. Additional information on the Healing Conference can be found on the Nation’s website – sni.org.
Finally, in keeping with the thoughts on the importance of health, wellness and healing, the community is invited to attend upcoming meetings with the Nation’s new Human Services Division. This is a chance to learn about the important work happening across our territories with programs like Family Support Services, Crime Victim Services, Seneca Strong, Opioid Response, and Community Wellness & Outreach.
Meetings are scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on April 13 at the ACC, April 14 at the CCC, and April 15 at the Buffalo Creek office. The meetings will cover resources and support available to our community members, as well as share and discuss ideas and priorities for our community. For more information on these meetings, call 716-532-4035.
Until next time,
J.C.
