Heyhey Nya:wëh Sgë:nö’,
I hope everyone had a great time at our recent Fall Festival in Cattaraugus. It is always great to see so many friends and families gathering together to celebrate our culture and the spirit of community that keeps our Nation strong.
As we close out September, we have a few important observances in the days ahead. Tomorrow, September 26, is our annual Remember the Removal walk. Everyone is asked to gather at the Steamburg Community Center starting at 9 a.m., with bus load-in for transportation to the walk site beginning at 9:30. We make this walk every year as part of our continued journey toward healing from the trauma we suffered more than 60 years ago. I have been having many discussions and interviews recently regarding attempts to rename Lake Ontario and why that is such an important issue to speak out against. In each conversation, I mention the repeated attempts over history to erase and destroy our culture and to eradicate our people. The images and memories of Seneca homes, neighborhoods and sacred sites being destroyed right in front of our people is a lasting reminder that we must always be prepared and vigilant in defending our sovereignty against the betrayal forced on us by outside governments.
I hope that many of our people – young and old – will participate in this year’s walk. We can never forget what happened at Kinzua, and we will never stop mourning what was taken from us. By keeping that memory at the forefront of our mind and by making sure that our young people and our future generations know and understand what happened, we can eventually find healing and further strengthen our resolve to always protect our lands and our people.
Another important part of our healing journey is connected to the atrocities countless young Senecas and other Native children experienced at the residential boarding schools, including the former Thomas Indian School in Cattaraugus. This Wednesday, September 30, we will again come together for our Every Child Matters Remembrance & Community Healing Walk in Cattaraugus starting at 5 p.m. Together, we will walk the Thomas Indian School grounds to remember, to grieve, and to take another step on our journey toward healing as a community.
That same evening, Seneca Gaming Corporation will host its annual Every Child Matters Walk in Niagara Falls, starting in front of Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino and going through Niagara Falls State Park. That walk also starts at 5 p.m.
What happened to the children who were forced to attend the residential boarding schools for more than a century is unconscionable. The terror and hatred they faced is beyond shameful. The scars they carried – and still carry – are our scars. They have impacted everyone in our Nation, every Seneca family, and Native communities across Indian Country.
Like Kinzua, those wounds are still fresh and the pain is still prevalent. But, we cannot hide them away and we will never forget the children who walked through those doors and endured that pain. We need to continue to wrap our arms around the survivors, remember the victims and stand up and demand action for all past, present and future generations.
I hope that, as we remember these painful events of the past, everyone finds a measure of peace and comfort and healing. Our journey continues, and the path we walk, we must always walk together – united as one Nation, now and always.
Until next time,
J.C.
