https://sni.org/gaiwanohge-v15/

Learn Seneca: Winter themed words

O΄gä΄ (Snowflake)

Oni:ya΄ (Snow on the ground)

Oniyano:de:s (Deep Snow)

Oye΄gwä:no:des (Big Snowdrifts)

The post January 2023 Language Newsletter appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

We wanted to share some winter inspired words in Onöndowa’ga:’ Gawë:nö’ (Seneca language). We hope everyone had a happy, safe and warm holiday season!

For more Onöndowa’ga:’ Gawë:nö’ resources, visit senecalanguage.com.

The post Onöndowa’ga:’ Gawë:nö’ appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

NIAGARA FALLS — Rickey Armstrong Sr. remembers walking into the old Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center on Fourth Street and wondering: “What did we get ourselves into here?”

Armstrong, the current president of the Seneca Nation of Indians, who, back in 2002, was just embarking on his first of what would be three terms as Nation president, recalls seeing cracks in the convention center walls, pools of water on floors and exposed wires inside the building. It was his first tour of the space and his initial thoughts were: “This was impossible.”

“I was shocked,” he said. “I thought ‘how are we ever going to be able to transform this?’”

Not only did the Nation turn the aging convention into a casino, but it did so in 100 days, a feat that, in its time, was regarded as a significant accomplishment, given the long history of development delays and outright failures in the Falls.

Hitting that 100-day mark remains a point of pride, according to Armstrong who said the quick turnaround was important not only to prove that the Nation could get the job done but also to ensure that the Nation’s first foray into Class III casino gaming got off to a strong start.

Armstrong noted that, at the time, the Nation had just agreed to borrow the funds to cover the building renovations. He remembers feeling some pressure about the need to begin the process of paying the loan back as soon as possible.

“We figured every day we are not in operation, we are losing money,” Armstrong said. “We thought it was important to do.”

Kevin Nephew, the current president and chief executive officer of the Seneca Gaming Corp., said he had a similar reaction to Armstrong’s when he got his first look at the aging Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center building.

Nephew, who is the first Seneca Nation member to lead the gaming corporation, said he believes the project came together so well and so quickly for two of the same reasons why he believes the casino continues to operate successfully two decades later: Commitment and teamwork.

“It’s amazing what everyone can accomplish when they are on the same page,” Nephew said. “I’m astounded by what was done 20 years ago. My mouth kind of drops to think how much was done, especially in 100 days.”

The Nation’s property in downtown Niagara Falls has undergone a lot of changes since the casino first opened.

In 2005, the Nation celebrated the completion of a $200 million project that added the 26-story, 604-room hotel and additional gaming space.

In 2019, Seneca gaming officials announced plans for a $40 million “arrival experience” that renovation of the Seneca Niagara event center, hotel front entrance, mezzanine and lobby bar.

Seneca One Stop, a convenience store, gas station and smoke shop, opened near the casino and hotel in 2016.

Earlier this year, Seneca officials announced the construction of Nativa Cannabis, 2,500-square-foot marijuana dispensary that is being built on the Falls casino’s footprint next to the One Stop location.

Nephew said he views the “arrival experience” project as one of the best investments the gaming corporation has ever made because he believes it not only offers an attractive entrance to the casino property but also an inviting feel for visitors who are arriving in the Falls via the John B. Daly Boulevard exit off the Robert Moses Parkway.

“That just doesn’t make our property look great. It really makes the welcome to the City of Niagara (Falls) look great,” Nephew said. “I think to myself just that little piece is welcoming. It makes a visitor feel different and they come back.”

The post From aging convention center to Falls casino in 100 days appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Stop on down to the Seneca Allegany Elder Center in Jimtown EVERY TUESDAY in January from 3-5pm and learn to crochet with Enola.

G & H hooks will be used and some supplies will be provided. All Elders are welcome!

The post Learn to Crochet w/Enola appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Blizzard boxes will be ready January 19th. They contain a three-day supply of food for use when regular AOA meals and deliveries are canceled due to inclement weather.

Elders age 60 and up can stop by Cattaraugus or Allegany AOA to pick up a Blizzard Box anytime after January 19th. All home delivered meal recipients will have a box delivered to them. Supplies are limited and first come, first serve.

Allegany AOA Office: (716) 945-8414

Cattaraugus AOA Office: (716) 532-5777

The post Blizzard Boxes available January 19th! appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

• Comedian Tracy Morgan LIVE: Friday, January 21st at 8 p.m. – Seneca Niagara Event Center
• STOMP Musical: Friday, January 27th at 7 p.m. – Shea’s Theatre
• Buffalo Bandits: Saturday, February 4th at 7:30 p.m. – Keybank Center
• JODECI: Saturday, February 10th at 8 p.m. – Seneca Niagara Event Center
• Lonestar: Saturday, February 11th at 8 p.m. – Seneca Allegany Event Center
• Travis Tritt: Saturday, May 20th at 8 p.m. – Seneca Allegany Event Center
• Comedian Ken Jeong: Saturday, September 16th at 8 p.m. – Seneca Niagara Event Center DATE CHANGE

Sign-up sheets for shows will be available 1 MONTH prior to the event. Numbers are turned in to the Casino 1 week prior, if you have a change in plans please cancel before then. Be sure you will be attending when you sign-up as there has been an increase of last-minute cancellations, resulting in a waste of Elder entertainment funds. Nya:wëh!

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December 20, 2022 | ggbmagazine.com

For GGB’s 21st annual People to Watch issue, we’ve continued our practice of mixing the high-profile leaders in the industry with those down in the trenches doing the things that make those leaders look good. And these high-profile leaders will tell you that they can’t do anything without the people who put in the time and effort using their imagination and their experience to put together a solid program.

The leaders, especially those who rose up through the ranks, truly believe that without their support staff, things would fall apart quickly. They also realize that those with that imagination and drive will become the future of this industry sooner than they realize.

In this year’s list we’ve got a good selection from all disciplines in gaming, because GGB’s Editorial Advisory Board recognizes that a healthy industry needs to have extraordinary people at every level. Whether it’s regulators, tribal leaders, suppliers—both online and land-based—folks who run the operations, responsible gaming advocates or others, all elements of the industry have to work hand in hand, and by honoring people from all these fields, we can encourage that to continue.

Most encouraging in this year’s list is the diversity of the honorees. Women and minorities are truly breaking through in gaming, and their contributions are not only being recognized, but they have become leaders in their fields.

So congratulations to all the honorees in GGB’s 25 People to Watch. You have achieved so much so far, and we’re anxious to “watch” you achieve much more in 2023 and the years to come!

Check out the feature about Kevin Nephew HERE!

The post GGB Magazine Announces Its 25 People to Watch for 2023: appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

The Erie Basin Marina Observation Deck is home to a monument recognizing the Seneca people, original inhabitants of the land. Check it out next time you’re in Buffalo!

Full text reads as follows:

“This monument is dedicated to the [Onodowa’ga] or People of the Many Hills (Seneca)

Shown are: The Hiawatha wampum agreement which brought together the Five Nations in the pursuit of peace

A Seneca traditional headdress signified by the one upright feather

A Seneca women’s nominating belt (lower left) brought out when the women had reached a consensus on a leader (chief) or important decision.

The medallion presented to Red Jacket by George Washington in 1792 to signify the peace between the Five Nations and the colonies

And a Pre-columbian cooking pot used by the people of the five nations.

~ Designed by Carson Waterman. Sculptor, Kenneth Payne. Dedicated by NETO-Hatinakwe Okwehowe, Inc. during the Decade of Indigenous People (1995).

The post Did you know? appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

January 17th, 2023: 6pm-7pm
January 31st, 2023: 6pm-7pm
February 14th, 2023: 6pm-7pm
February 28th, 2023: 6pm-7pm
March 14th, 2023: 6pm-7pm
March 28th, 2023: 6pm-7pm

All practices are held in the Salamanca High School (SHS) Auxiliary Gym.

Interested in joining Seneca Youth Dancers? Stop by one or all of the practices – if you have any questions, please contact Kari Kennedy at KKennedy@salamancany.org

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Seneca Member Lois Garlow Highlighted for AUGUST Quote

December 31, 2022 | By Sean Kirst | buffalonews.com

During my years as a columnist, I’ve always tried to collect a few emblematic quotes at each year’s end from the previous 12 months of columns, before sharing those words with appreciation for the trust and sincerity behind each thought.

This year is distinct, for the harshest reason. For much of 2022 in Buffalo, I covered the aftermath of an obscene act of hate, the murder of 10 people by a racist killer at Tops Markets on Jefferson Avenue. It led me to contemplate – out of respect and reverence – breaking quotes related to the massacre into a forum of their own.

But it seems to me that would be an action in step with exactly what the killer wanted – to separate lives of deep meaning in the Cold Spring neighborhood from the everyday heartbeat of the surrounding city. Each of the 10 lives stolen at Tops will always be of bedrock importance in Buffalo, and tributes and reflections born from searing grief need to be, more than ever, shared in community.

From 2022, here is the year in Western New York, in your own words:

August 13: “It was like he did it on purpose. We all felt like Jim Thorpe was watching us.” – Lois Garlow of the Seneca Nation, co-captain of Haudenosaunee Nationals women’s lacrosse, after her team defeated Czechoslovakia for a historic World Games win in the same week that Thorpe’s Olympic medals from 1912 were finally restored.

Check out the remainder of Mr. Kirst’s column here: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/wounds-of-hate-flashes-of-hope-years-end-in-devils-snow-in-buffalo-12-fateful/article_dc854e3a-879e-11ed-844b-c799a61b3f0e.html

The post In Buffalo, 12 fateful months in quotes appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.