Heyhey Nya:wëh Sgë:nö’,
Pictured: President Seneca speaks at the 300th Anniversary event at Old Fort Niagara.
Welcome to summer! The months are really flying by, and we all know how quickly summer can pass. It is hard for me to believe that we only have a few months left in my two-year term as President.
Since taking office on November 12, 2024, I have worked with Council and my team to move forward with many initiatives to serve the Seneca people and strengthen our Seneca Nation. My focus every day has been to promote economic security for our people by focusing on securing a new Class III gaming compact, recovering millions of dollars stolen from us by New York State, and engaging with the Trump Administration to ensure federal funding for our vital programs.
Throughout the past 20 months, we have promoted political engagement and restored respect by re-building political alliances with federal, state, and local officials in Washington, Albany, and Western New York, including an historic apology from the State of New York for atrocities committed against Seneca people.
And we have protected our sovereign integrity and lands by fighting to restore our use of our Kinzua lands, our Thruway lands, and identifying new lands for development and housing. This newsletter contains a report to our people on some of the key activities and accomplishments of my administration to date. If you have any questions regarding that information, please contact me or my office.
In other news, there were some exciting activities taking place on our territories and across the region these last few weeks. More than 300 members of the Miwok tribe in California traveled to visit the Seneca Nation recently. They toured our territories, enjoyed a day of culture at the Sully Huff building and enjoyed lunch at Seneca Fire. The visit concluded with a shared meal and community social. Our staff did an outstanding job welcoming our visitors and making sure their needs were met throughout their visit. Many nya:wëhs to everyone who assisted in this effort, and to First Lady Nicole Seneca for officially representing the President’s Office at the dinner and social gathering.
I also had the opportunity to welcome former U.S. Congressman Joseph Kennedy III to the Cattaraugus Territory for a discussion on energy matters. Today, Mr. Kennedy serves as President of Citizens Energy, a non-profit energy company, where he focuses on renewable power initiatives. It was a very interesting discussion.
I was also honored to serve as a guest speaker at the 300th anniversary event for the French Castle at Old Fort Niagara, along with representatives from the United States, Canada and France. The Haudenosaunee people are forever linked to the Fort’s history. Our ancestors’ views were ignored when the Fort was built by the French, and Haudenosaunee warriors later helped secure the Fort for the British. Today, 300 years later, our views are still too often ignored by other governments. Participating in this event was an opportunity to remind elected leaders of their treaty obligations when dealing with us as a sovereign government, and to remind everyone that the Seneca people have always been in this region, will always be in this region, and must always be respected.
Next weekend is July 4, when the United States will celebrate Independence Day and the country’s 250th birthday. Our relationship with the United States, which is located on our lands, is a complicated one. On one hand, our ancestors influenced the country’s founders and provided a framework for its democratic government and pledged perpetual peace between our people. Yet, broken treaties, broken promises and the attempted destruction of Native people are a very real and dark part of the last 250 years.
Meanwhile, throughout the past 250 years, Native warriors have bravely served in the United States military, fighting in defense of freedom, at a higher rate than any other population. No matter how, or if, you plan to recognize July 4th, please be safe and share a thought of gratitude for our Veterans and warriors who are still serving in defense of freedom around the world today.
Finally, I again want to congratulate all of our graduates across the Seneca Nation. We have enjoyed celebrating with you at the many banquets and awards events these past several weeks. If you and your family are celebrating or traveling this summer, be safe and enjoy this time of year. I hope your Summer 2026 is filled with many happy memories!
Until next time,
J.C.
