A collaboration between the Town of Caneadea and the Seneca Nation is in the works to celebrate Seneca culture at the inaugural Stand with Seneca at Caneadea Field Day slated to occur at the town park in Caneadea on Saturday July 1st. Events being planned include Lacrosse Exhibitions (Men, Women, and Youth teams), Smoke Dance Exhibitions, Best Traditional Regalia Awards, and a Pig Chase. There will also be a vendor area and an Elder’s tent. It is anticipated that this celebration will grow into an annual event.
Richard Big Kettle, a Seneca (Heron Clan) artist and lacrosse stick maker, initially proposed the idea of a Field Day to the Town of Caneadea. The Town then formed a “Friendship Planning Committee” and reached out to the Seneca Nation Council this past February. Town Supervisor Michel Cox sent a letter to Council stating, in part, “We want to honor the Seneca people and their history. With this in mind, we are extending a formal invitation to you, the Seneca Nation.”
The Town of Caneadea’s name comes from “Gaoyadeo” which translates to “where the heavens rest upon the earth.” The town park where the Field Day will occur is situated on the Genesee River across from a former Seneca village site where the Council House once stood. The return of the Seneca to Caneadea to share our culture nearly two centuries after leaving will be an historic event.
Front (L to R): Councillor Jeff Gill, Phyllis Gaerte, Melanie Hill, Laura Habecker, Tina Kettle, Councillor Odie Porter, Joanna Bates, Clarice Gill; Back (L to R): Phil Stockin, Kevin Hatton, Councillor Eliot Jimerson, Mike Cox, Kenneth Bates, Rob Porter.
