Every Child Matters Walk, Cattaraugus Territory
Weso Nya:wëh to everyone who participated, supported, and helped organize the annual Every Child Matters Walk in Cattaraugus. We stand in solidarity with our residential school survivors and honor the children lost to the Indian boarding school system. Walking the grounds of the former Thomas Indian School on the Cattaraugus Territory in Irving, N.Y., we remember the history and the resilience of our people—where Indigenous children were once forced to leave their families and forget their culture, language, and identity. We reclaimed these spaces with our families, speaking our language, celebrating our culture, and singing our traditional songs that were once silenced. Together, we are committed to creating awareness, fostering understanding, and continuing the journey toward healing from the impacts of residential schools on our people. We will keep the conversation alive on Indigenous rights and reconciliation, and continue to strengthen our family bonds and cultural connections.
Remembrance Walk, Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino
Seneca Niagara Casino staff hosted their 6th annual walk of remembrance from the Niagara Casino entrance to Niagara Falls. Participants danced to social songs in unity. President JC Seneca touched on the atrocities that have affected Senecas including the removal of the Kinzua Dam and the Thomas Indian School. Although we face hardship, we are still here and thriving.
Elizabeth Williams reflected on the life of her mother, survivor Eunice Hill (Tuscarora) who was born in 1913 and attended Thomas Indian School. She was taken at the age of 6 from home.
Her mother remembered making friends, learning to play an instrument and having positive experiences at the school.
“I know a lot of people weren’t as fortunate as she was, that a lot of bad things happened to them,” Elizabeth said. “Fortunately, they didn’t happen to my mom, so she had good memories.”
Still, attending the school meant being separated from her family, culture and language. Her mother remained fluent in her language, but chose not to teach it to her children because she did not want them to experience what she had gone through.
After returning home from Thomas Indian School at about 15 years old, her mother Eunice was asked whether she wanted to get married or continue her education. She chose school and eventually graduated from Trott Vocational High School in Niagara Falls, something many Native children did not have the opportunity to do at the time. She later made education a priority for each of her seven children.
Elizabeth enjoys memories of her mother and along with family, walks in her honor. “She was an amazing woman but she had to be in order to be able to survive all of it,” she shared.
Seneca Arts and Learning Center, Allegany Territory
Our SALC family was joined by Faithkeepers and Men & Women’s Ceremonial for our Every Child Matters Walk.
We also shared the book “Today Is Orange Shirt Day” by Phyllis Webstad. Its message carries so much meaning…. wearing orange, coming together, listening, learning the truth, remembering the children, holding our families close, and doing our part to create a brighter future for the generations to come.
That message means so much when we think about why we walk.
We remember the children who never made it home. We honor the Survivors and the families who continue to carry those stories. And we make sure our own children grow up knowing who they are, where they come from, and how deeply they are loved and valued.
Nya:wëh to Faithkeepers, Men & Women’s Ceremonial, Language, SN Marshals, Council, our families and community for walking with our children and sharing this meaningful day with us.
“Today, tomorrow, and every day, Every Child Matters. Including you.”
