Sign-up sheets for shows will be available 1 MONTH prior to the event. Numbers are turned into the Casino 1 week prior, if you have a change in plans please cancel before then. Please arrive 2 hours prior to the show for the buffet at the casinos.

• Kool & the Gang: Saturday, January 27th at 8pm, Seneca Niagara Event Center
• Brantley Gilbert: Saturday, February 10th at 7pm, Seneca Allegany Event Center
• Legacy Fighting Alliance: Friday, February 23rd at 7pm, Seneca Niagara Event Center
• +LIVE+: Saturday, March 2nd at 7pm, Seneca Allegany Event Center
• STYX: Saturday, March 23rd at 8pm, Seneca Niagara Event Center

Allegany AOA Office: (716) 945-8414

Cattaraugus AOA Office: (716) 532-5777

The post Upcoming Seneca Elder Events appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

New topics each month!

See flyer for details:

The post Wellness Hour w/Andrea appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

In the event of inclement weather, please note that Seneca Nation Warming Centers WILL BE OPEN!

Please Remember During Extreme Weather Events:
If people need to be outside for prolonged periods of time, be sure to cover your nose, ears, chin, cheeks, fingers, and toes. Home heating safety is also important!

Space Heaters:
Turn space heaters off before going to sleep at night. Turn space heaters off when leaving the room for more than a few minutes. Position space heaters at least 3 feet away from furniture, drapes, and other Flammable items. Place heaters on a solid, flat surface. Connect heater directly to wall electrical outlet, not into an extension cord which can be a tripping hazard. Remember: Space heaters are designed to be temporary, not all-day heat sources

Fireplaces:
Always use a fireplace screen. Make sure the area around the fireplace is clear of anything that is potentially flammable. Never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended. Make sure fire is completely out before going to bed or leaving the house. If you leave the room while the fire is burning or the fireplace is still hot, take your small child with you NEVER use an oven or stove as a heating source.

The post Seneca Nation Warming Centers appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Speak with your provider to get up to date with the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines.

Fore more information, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/index.html

The post It is that time of year, FLU SEASON! appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Crouse, a free lance artist, sculptor, singer, dancer and speaker of the Seneca people who resides on the Allegany Reservation created sketches/plans for a sculpture displaying the most identifiable icon of Seneca culture, a Seneca headdress. This project was on hold during the pandemic but once things began to be safe again, work resumed. The sculpture is completed and a celebration to officially unveil and light the sculpture is in the works. Stay tuned!

The post Seneca Gastowë’ Sculpture appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Step into a world of wonder, laughter, and modern-day magic as Michael Kent, one of Ohio’s top 30 “Famously Funny” comedians, graces the Ray Evans Theater in Salamanca, NY, on January 27th!

General Admission tickets are now on sale, offering you a seat to witness the magic unfold. But why stop there? Elevate your experience with the exclusive VIP Hour, granting you personal time with Michael Kent himself. This package includes a meet and greet with the man of the hour and access to his signature magic.

This spectacular event is brought to you by the Salamanca Chamber of Commerce, an organization dedicated to fostering community spirit and creating unforgettable experiences for everyone. They are collaborating with SMAD (Seneca Mothers Against Drugs) to help raise awareness and work towards a safer community for our kids. 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to witness Michael Kent’s spellbinding magic and uproarious comedy live on stage January 27th. Secure your tickets today for an evening of laughter, amazement, and community spirit by clicking the link below!

Let the magic begin!  https://www.salamancachamber.org/about-6

The post Modern Day Magic with Kent Michael appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Photo above: Gerry Fisher, acting Director at Seneca Nation’s Gakwi:yo:h Farms, tosses some corn to the other end of the pile.

The only sound was the rustling of husks, carefully pulled down to save the three strongest for braiding the corn together.

This wasn’t just any corn. It was Haudenosaunee White Corn, the seeds passed down from generation to generation and its handling adhered to age-old traditions from planting to processing.

The batch was received three days prior and needed to be husked and braided, then hung to dry to prevent mold. After several months, the corn will be hand-sorted, cleaned, and bagged as hulled corn, roasted corn flour and corn flour.

“Corn is so essential to who we are. It’s what fed us,” said Peter Jemison, former site director of Ganondagan State Historic Site, who retired in February.

The struggle of the Haudenosaunee White Corn

The Haudenosaunee White Corn Project is in its 23rd year at the Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor. The site has historical significance to the project.

In the 1600s, Ganondagan was the largest Seneca village and neighbored Fort Hill where the Haudenosaunee Confederacy stored grain. Any nation within that confederacy could access the food as needed.

However, in 1687 a French army came from Canada to attack the village as part of an effort to secure trade in the area. The Seneca knew of the attack in advance and left. The army chopped down crops and burned the stored corn at Fort Hill in hopes of starving the Seneca should they return.

This corn, a descendent of the ancient seeds, survived.

“The corn was definitely hiding to stay safe,” Angel Jimerson, consultant and former production manager at Ganondagan White Corn Project said.

The struggle to save the corn did not end there. When boarding schools later arrived, part of the mission was to quash the customs, language and tradition of the Haudenosaunee, Jimerson said. People had to hide their practices, languages, songs and foods.

Haudenosaunee believe corn isn’t just a crop. It’s a part of the Three Sisters, which also includes beans and squash. Besides being the agricultural staples, Haudenosaunee legend says people need to acknowledge the Three Sisters as relatives and include them in ceremonies.

Jimerson said their great grandfather was one of the few in the Cattaraugus Reservation who secretly kept growing corn in his small garden. He grew just enough so it could be processed, eaten and have some left to replant.

The continuation of the White Corn Project

Originally called the Iroquois White Corn Project, founders, John Mohawk and his wife, Yvonne Dion-Buffalo, wanted to introduce ancestral seeds and foods back into the Haudenosaunee diet on the Cattaraugus Reservation. Corn is the most labor intensive crop of the Three Sisters, so processing the corn and making it more available was important to the culture and health of the community.

When the couple died in the early 2000s, the project was dormant for years until Jemison, a cousin of John Mohawk, brought it to Ganondagan and restarted it.

“The idea is to get our own people to eat our own food,” Jemison said, and not just for special occasions.

Keeping tradition alive for future generations

Today, one of the challenges is to make sure the corn isn’t genetically modified or patented. Indigenous farmers are careful to plant at times that it won’t cross pollinate with other corn in the fields. All the seeds remain with the Indigenous community.

By midmorning, the barn at Ganondagan White Corn Project was a hum of activity. People chatted with those beside them. Some were first-timers, others had come before. Music, drumming and singing from an Indigenous social dance song, streamed from a phone and two young boys climbed up a corn pile, searching for corn silk to collect for use in medicine.

As people worked, they were asked to have what Haudenosaunee people call a “good mind,” which means to have respect and be mindful of your actions and thoughts.

Deb McPherson of Fairport attended for the first time with her cousin. Both are Potawatomi and came to support Ganondagan. McPherson noted that many of the Indigenous people have a connection to the same foods and have similar stories around it.

“It was almost like a replica of what was happening in the Long House, long ago,” McPherson said of the activity surrounding her.

“Just think how many people have touched that corn and when they’re getting braided, it’s everyone’s corn.”

It wasn’t just the corn she husked, she said. A basket she contributed to had corn husked by others the communal spirit is still there as they are braided together.

“They are hanging as a community as well.”

Source

The post These Seeds Grow Culture, Community and Food; Ganondagan Preserves the Tradition appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

“In our teachings of our traditional ways, families never inflicted violence towards each other or the children. Our people believe that the children are gifts from the creator and we are not the “owners” but the caretakers of them. We were given these children to teach them, to be good role models for them, and to bring forth harmony, peace and understanding. We have expressed to our children all the teachings we have been given by our experiences in life. Children must be taught the “good” ways and must be shown to them by their families. All children are cared for by other members of the family. A child can be given and shown respect by their auntie who also cares for them. In a family, everyone works together to help teach the children. Children are taught to listen and respect their parents and family. Can we now, see the difference in what violence has done to our way of life? Our children, who are our hope for tomorrow, will only bring pain and destruction to the generations to come, if violence continues to engulf our families.” “We are the voices of long ago, who speak to you. We know that you have made the attempt to change your way, and we know that our children need to learn the way of long ago.

The teachings will come if the people will listen, the teachings will be heard if the people can understand they no longer want this violence to destroy their families. It is like the war, when we had to stand and fight for what we believed, it is now your turn to fight for the children. We know that the children will perish if we cannot hold strong to our faith in our beliefs. We are here to help and to try to give some direction to keep our people from destroying themselves. No one will know the sadness we all feel inside when we hear and see the pain growing in our children’s eyes. It is not our way to hold the blame onto others, it is our way to change things and make them right. Hear our voices in the wind. Listen and carefully remember the ancestors speak to all their people. Like every sunrise, let us see the hope for a better future.

Do not let our children suffer from such violent ways. Creator’s gifts are many and we each have been given a spirit to guide and to share as it is a honor for Creator to bestow this gift to you. We have spoken and we continue to watch over you, we are your helpers from the other world, listen and we speak through others, our words will come. We as people, we as strong, strong people, will get together and look violence in the eye as we have not the fear but the strength to change our ways. As the wind blows in many directions, so do the voices of our ancestors. Let us open our hearts and souls and listen, for these voices are clear. Our ancestors speak.”

By Jake Thomas
Taking Care of Each Other’s Spirit

The post Our Children are Gifts appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Remembering you is easy, I do it everyday. It’s the heartache of losing you, that never goes away.

I miss you and I love you.

~Bobby

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Note: IN-PERSON Meeting only, NO VIRTUAL OPTIONS.

See announcement below for details:

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