Blue Stone Strategy Group (a Native-owned advisory firm in its 14th year of operations in providing Tribal specific services) has been retained to support the Community Planning & Development Department on behalf of the Seneca Nation in leading the Nation through a planning process that will produce an Economic Resiliency Plan tied to the latest Seneca Nation’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). The Plan will create a guide to provide the Seneca Nation with feasible and practical short-term and long-term economic recovery and resiliency solutions.

The Economic Resiliency Plan will develop and tailor strategies for COVID-19 pandemic recovery, resiliency and workforce development for the Seneca Nation. The strategic planning process produces the best results when it is collaborative, inclusive and community centric, so we would like to request your participation by providing feedback through an online survey process.

We will be posting survey questions on a weekly basis over the next four weeks via our social media, Facebook page. The full survey can be made available to you via email or hard copy upon request to Courtney Jemison, 532-4900 x5093 at the Planning Department.

•Complete the questions each week to be entered in a drawing.
•1 entry per person
•All answers are kept separate from entry.

Links:

To complete survey w/ all questions:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R9YY6Y6

Week One (4 Questions):
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R97PBPK

Week Two (3 Questions):
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R9P8RY7

Week Three (3 Questions):
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RD926SZ

Week Four (3 Questions):
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RDR6Y9R

The post Economic Planning: We Need Your Input appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

During July’s Council, the Seneca Nation approved the repair and expansion of the natural gas distribution system on the Cattaraugus Territory. The below map depicts the areas where natural gas lines exist or will exist once the project has been completed. You will receive a direct notification letter if you will be effected by the upcoming project. Some residents will require a new service line and other residents will gain access to cheaper, more reliable natural gas. Construction will begin this summer and continue through June 2022.

Nya:wëh,
Seneca Energy / Seneca Utilities

The post Natural Gas Map appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a letter of interest, statement of qualifications, rate for management services, and proposal for future development. Proposals are due to the Seneca Nation of Indians on or before September 15, 2021. The Nation plans to schedule interviews in October and select the successful candidate, if any, by October 31, 2021. A copy of the RFP is available by calling the Office of the President at 716-532-4900, or on the Nation’s website at www.sni.org.

The Seneca Nation desires to enter into an agreement with the selected candidate. Applicants should be experienced in managing recreational areas, as well as be prepared to provide a detailed proposal for the design, construction and management of the proposed Facilities, including a financial analysis supporting the long-term economic viability to the Seneca Nation.

Proposals should be submitted to:
Office of the President
Seneca Nation of Indians
12837 Route 438
Irving, New York 14081

The post Request for Proposals: Seneca Nation Beach appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

By YANENOWI LOGAN | Reprinted from indiancountrytoday.com

Photo: Yanenowi ‘She Guards the Corn’ Logan (Courtesy image)

Yanenowi Logan – Seneca Nation of Indians, New York State Fair Indian Village Princess

An annual highlight of Labor Day weekend at the New York State Fair is Native American Day — we Natives call it “Ind’n Day.” Natives come from across the state and converge on the Indian Village, where the Six Nations are represented in bark-covered stands and sell their wares.

A group of singers and dancers perform daily on an elevated stage in the shape of a turtle, the Turtle Mound, and share the culture and history of the people Indigenous to the state. Each year there is an Indian Princess selected to represent one of the territories; each nation gets a turn on a rotating basis. This year it was the Seneca Nation Cattaraugus Territory’s selection. The Agricultural Society selected me.

A Facebook post urging the young women of Cattaraugus to apply circulated and a couple of friends and my auntie forwarded the post to me. I decided almost immediately to apply. After submitting a letter of intent, I was invited to interview; most questions were based on my comprehension of our culture.

After the interview, I was nervous and unsure. Nervous, because I thought my answers weren’t Seneca enough. Was my storytelling up to par? Did I demonstrate knowledge of my culture and show I’m proud of it? Did I convey confidence and my desire to serve in a position that young women like my younger self would look up to? That same night I was informed that I was selected as this year’s princess and I was beside myself with excitement.

I was especially thrilled since I come from a long line of Logans with a strong, historic presence in the Indian Village. My grandfather and great-grandfather occupied the Tonawanda stand for years; my great-aunt, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother all sat in the women’s building beading daisy chains and earrings. I was so looking forward to being there and sharing in the tradition.

And then the Delta variant hit. Despite being vaccinated, I tested positive, got breakthrough COVID-19, and was ordered to a 10-day quarantine. My princess “reign” and my State Fair Indian Village experience derailed. Even though I now sit in isolation — doing my classes online and attending conferences through Zoom, and missing out on the Fair — I believe I was selected to represent. So this is my shot.

By virtue of being granted the privilege comes with it a responsibility to honor and respect past princesses, but also to lead and be a positive role model for young Native women. It is in this vein that I strive to use this platform to propose the retirement of the Indian Princess title in lieu of a more culturally appropriate way to celebrate and honor young Indigenous women

I don’t want to dishonor or disrespect past princesses, but bring us forward with more culturally relevant and accurate nomenclature.

There are better ways of showcasing our strong women to the world. The Haudenosaunee, people of the Longhouse, are matrilineal people. Lineage and clans are passed down from the women and clan mothers determine our traditional leaders.

I understand what it means to have strong women lead and represent, and I want to contribute in my own way. Being called an Indian Princess, although a position of honor, can also be uncomfortable in predominately white spaces.

I had the awkward experience of being called princess all day at work this summer by my white colleagues once I shared the news. Although I know their congratulations were well-intentioned, I couldn’t help but feel tokenized. I knew that I was the only Native girl they knew and now they could tell their friends and families that they knew a real Indian Princess.

The issue isn’t just a matter of discomfort with the term but the stereotypes, microaggressions and historical inaccuracies embedded in it.

All over Indian Country, at community events, powwows, and fairs, such as Crow Fair in Montana, the idea of Indian royalty and the practice of naming princesses has been pervasive.

However, the notion of an Indian princess was not part of Native culture or tradition — it was an idea, however flawed or well-intentioned, that was adopted and became a mainstay at events.

The New York State Fair Indian Village has its own history in embracing royalty into its traditions. In 1952, 69 years ago, the New York State Fair installed its first Indian Princess: Frieda Williams, Tuscarora.

Maribel Watt, Seneca (Allegany) was the second New York State Fair Indian Princess in 1953.

Maribel served twice as the clerk of the Seneca Nation and was elected to council; she was instrumental on several committees during the removal period post-Kinzua when Senecas were dispossessed of land on the Allegany territory due to the building of the Kinzua Dam when hundreds were devastated by the loss of their dwellings and homelands.

She was the epitome of strong leadership and all that we should celebrate and honor in past princesses. She passed in 2015. It is time to recognize and celebrate women, such as Maribel Watt, who are reflective of who we are and do so in ways that empower us.

I am familiar with and look up to powerful Indigenous women. Women like environmental activist Winona LaDuke, Anishinaabe, who has been an incredible inspiration in my journey in studying environment and sustainability at Cornell University.

Women like Eloise Cobell, Blackfeet, who spent decades fighting the federal government to address and settle the precedent-setting Trust Funds case; Louise Erdrich, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, prolific writer, author, and Pulitzer Prize-winner; Deb Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, congresswoman and first Native Secretary of the Interior; and strong, beloved clan mothers throughout the confederacy such as Audrey Shenandoah, Onondaga, and my great-grandmother Arlene Logan, Seneca, those old school elders who seemed to possess inherent wisdom, knowledge, and insights who could light up rooms with their mere entry, and too many others to list here.

These women and so many others have paved a path for Indigenous women for generations to come. They should be celebrated and more widely recognized.

I accepted the title and the honor of the Indian Princess so that I might reject the title of the Indian Princess. I propose a more accurate representation of Native women and suggest that we put an end to the Indian Princess era. I am also launching a fundraiser to commission a new sash for next year’s Miss Haudenosaunee. This is an opportunity to embark on a new path and a new way to honor our strong, up and coming, young Native women.

I honor all past Indian Princesses and their life-long accomplishments and contributions to our communities. I wish I had the opportunity to wear the sash, climb the Turtle Mound and represent in person at the New York State Fair.
But I will use my voice to ensure that Ongwehonwe women stand tall and are recognized for who they really are.

We remain rooted in culture and traditions that are ours; we must peel away the false pretenses of Indian Princess nomenclature. We have no need for notions of a Disney-fied, romanticized, abstract Princess ideal.

We have a great need for Haudenosaunee role models with resonant voices, community roots, and traditional values, yet with forward-thinking leadership qualities and convictions.

I ask not only my Seneca relations, but my Six Nations peers and all Indigenous women to join me in pressing for change. Out with the Indian Princess, on with Ongwehoweh, Haudenosaunee!

The post Honor past princesses, but retire the ‘Indian Princess’ appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Nya:wëh Sgë:nö’

August was a busy month at AOA. We extended our hours and activities, offered daily trips on our AOA buses, and assisted over 350 Elders. We are thankful for your patience as we ramp our programs and services back up to pre-pandemic levels.

Later this month we will be working with other SNI departments to hold a Community Healing Walk in honor and remembrance of those affected by residential schools. We hope that you will join us in coming together as a community to remember and to heal. More information can be found inside this issue.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month. Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms. If you notice any of them, don’t ignore them. Schedule an appointment with your doctor.

If you are in need of support or assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact AOA in Cattaraugus at (716)532-5777 or Allegany at (716)945-8990.

10 Early Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life – One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in the early stage, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events, asking for the same questions over and over, and increasingly needing to rely on memory aids (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.

What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

2. Challenges in planning or solving problems – Some people living with dementia may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.

What’s a typical age-related change? Making occasional errors when managing finances or household bills.

3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks – People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes they may have trouble driving to a familiar location, organizing a grocery list or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

What’s a typical age-related change? Occasionally needing help to use microwave settings or to record a TV show.

4. Confusion with time or place – People living with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.

What’s a typical age-related change? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.

5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships – For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. This may lead to difficulty with balance or trouble reading. They may also have problems judging distance and determining color or contrast, causing issues with driving.

What’s a typical age-related change? Vision changes related to cataracts.

6. New problems with words in speaking or writing – People living with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have trouble naming a familiar object or use the wrong name (e.g., calling a “watch” a “hand-clock”).
   What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps – A person living with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. He or she may accuse others of stealing, especially as the disease progresses.

What’s a typical age-related change? Misplacing things from time to time and retracing steps to find them.

8. Decreased or poor judgment – Individuals may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money or pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.

What’s a typical age-related change? Making a bad decision or mistake once in a while, like neglecting to change the oil in the car.

9. Withdrawal from work or social activities – A person living with Alzheimer’s disease may experience changes in the ability to hold or follow a conversation. As a result, he or she may withdraw from hobbies, social activities or other engagements. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite team or activity.

What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes feeling uninterested in family or social obligations.

10. Changes in mood and personality – Individuals living with Alzheimer’s may experience mood and personality changes. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, with friends or when out of their comfort zone.

What’s a typical age-related change? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

For more information on Alzheimer’s and dementia, please visit: www.alz.org

The post AOA Elders Corner — Directors Update appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

In support of these efforts, the Seneca Nation will be holding a clothing and household item drive, which will then be sent to Black Hawk, South Dakota, for distribution.

All items donated for this effort must be in good, new or gently used condition.

Nya:wëh, Treasurer Rickey L. Armstrong, Sr. and staff

See flyer below for details:

The post Clothing & Household Item Drive appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

What does it take to become a speaker of a language you were not raised up with from infancy and how long would it take to become proficient?

Naturally language transmission happened being surrounded in the community by loved ones where we learned from watching and mocking others on their sounds and actions. Since many of us don’t live with our elders to transmit language to us in the home Immersion schools have been growing and advancing with the times recognizing how important and effective they can be. Some have first language speakers others only advanced second language speakers to transmit the knowledge.

O’tgwanö:nyö:’, Gaweniyosta ni:’a, I am currently occupying a seat on the Agwadeyesta Board of Directors here in Ohi:yo’. My passion for languages, cultural experiences and a thirst for cosmological knowledges have led me on a remarkable journey the past 20 years meeting beautiful human beings and doing a job that not many in the world have the opportunity to do-working in an immersion setting -striving to help in the efforts of language revitalization.
I will share with you some insights into the adult immersion curriculum that has been implemented in the beginning of 2017. The Immersion environment combined with the root-word method takes a simple approach on the road to become a beginner speaker and comprehend-er of the language. With many hours in the hotseat you can easily -but not without wit and determination-go from a person with very little vocabulary -nouns- to a full sentence speaking chatterbox in as little as a couple months. The very first day you begin hearing the sounds and making simple complete sentences.

Language Immersion programs have existed since the late seventies around Haudenosaunee Country-mainly for school aged children. Some might argue it’s the best way to replicate an environment that can best effectively produce a speaker in the shortest amount of time. With a daily intention of exposing the circle of students to as much information on a daily basis that you want them to learn- you cut out the English completely early on, (within the first few weeks after they are comfortable with how the days experiences flow) explain by moving through various activities, pictures, hand gestures or actual items and reinforce the words from the days prior- what it is you are teaching.

At first there is a time where you’re exposing your learner to the sounds of the language, where around 90% of the time they are taking it in and repeating what is being spoken. Mocking birds for the first little while. It takes a few weeks before the expected flow takes hold, the students gain confidence and want to talk more. This is the key. Let them talk. You ask them open questions that need more than one-word answers-such as “tell me what you did last evening?” Its easiest to talk about oneself when first starting off. “I went to the store with my family to buy some food, then we went home, my mom made us spaghetti. We ate together then I went for a bike ride before it got dark”. With a great plan of what it is you want your student to regurgitate in as little as a few months you will have the beginnings of a foundation for them to grow and think in our original languages.

Imagine a space, a community, a collective nation taking back and rekindling the words, that connect us to the land and to how we existed through the generations. As an adult, Immersion can get there if you are willing to contribute a few of your hair turning gray and a few headaches.

The post Language Immersion appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

In remembrance of those who have been impacted by the residential school system.

The post Wear Orange! appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Watch for more details and information. Current flyer posted below.

The post T.E.R.C. Community Flea Market appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.

Submitted by Jacky Snyder

ANNUAL FIELD DAY 2021
August 22nd was a great day in Pinewoods! Community members from near and far came to help us enjoy the loosened reigns of the Covid-19 pandemic once again. The PCA Event Committee formed a well-planned event from morning to evening with many activities for everyone of all ages!

FIELD & GROUNDS USAGE
The Pinewoods Community has seen a recent influx of suspicious activity on the grounds. Please be reminded that there are NO drugs or alcohol allowed on premises. Also keep in mind when utilizing the community area, please remember to clean up after yourself. There are garbage cans provided for your use. Please play at your own risk, and supervise your children. Nya:weh!

WHAT’S NEW?
The PCA would like to thank Gernatt’s Gravel and Chrissy Schindler for helping get one of our goals accomplished! Our pavilion has been revamped and concreted! We have also been able to make repairs to our softball dugout roof, as well as purchase a new storage shed for our lawnmower!

We appreciate ALL of our community volunteers and the donations we’ve received immensely! Pictured below is Randy and Ryder, who helped with a bunch of our improvements!

COMMUNITY CLOSURE NOTICE:
The PCA will be undergoing construction in the Fall! We are grateful to the Seneca Nation for helping to provide our community with bathrooms usable for all of our community and events! The playground/ballfield will be unusable after October 1st.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
September 19th: SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY MEETING
October 10th: OCTOBER COMMUNITY MEETING

SMOKE DANCE
The Smoke Dance event was one of our biggest events of the day! Thank you to Alyssa Schmidt for being our event coordinator, and to Alan Dowdy for being the singer/MC of the day.

PCA would like to thank Mary & Sam Jacobs, Annette Repicci & Family, Councilor Angie Kennedy & Family, JC Seneca, SNI Council Office, SNI Clerk’s Office & SNI President’s Offices for sponsoring our categories this year! Without your generous donations, this event could not have been such a huge success!

FOR MORE PICTURES AND UPDATES, VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE: “Pinewoods Community Association”
If you’d like to help plan, become involved, or be in the loop about what’s going on in Pinewoods, feel free to reach out to us! Any questions or concerns, please email us at Pinewoodscommunityassociation1@gmail.com.

SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTICE:
Due to the Seneca Nation Fall Festival happening September 10-12, 2021, our monthly community meeting has been moved to Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 10 am.

The post What’s Been Happening at Pinewoods Community Association? appeared first on SNI Official Newsletter.