50 Years Ago: Sept. 11, 1973: JIMERSONTOWN — Engineers, architects, state and federal representatives were all on hand to help assess the environmental impact of the Seneca Nation of Indians’ Iroquoia project at a public hearing in the Haley building at 2 p.m. Monday (Sept. 10). “The potential of the Allegheny Reservoir is so great,” said Calvin John, project director, “that we need to plan cautiously and develop a master plan.” The project will include a 100-room resort motel, a reception building, a library, museum and later a reconstructed Indian village and an amphitheater.

25 Years Ago: Sept. 10, 1998: JIMERSONTOWN — Longtime Seneca Nation Department of Public Works Superintendent Stewart “JoJo” Redeye has been tapped as the presidential candidate on the Allegany Reservation Progressive People’s Party ballot in the SNI’s November election. Redeye will face opposition from People’s Party candidate Rae Snyder. Reggie Crouse has also announced his intention to run as an independent candidate.

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Please refer to land survey map/boundaries below. Parcel ‘A’ – 7.699 Acres is available. Asking price: $11,500. The next lot is fully developed. Series inquires only, please.

Call Michael Lyons at 727-365-6610 for more information.

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77 acres of woodland are available for purchase on Brant Reservation Road within the Cattaraugus Territory. Serious parties can call 716-934-5630 for more information.

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The Jimersontown Presbyterian Church will be holding their 62nd Annual Indian Foods Dinner this month at the Seneca Nation Administration Building (SAAB) Grand Hall from Noon-2:30pm

DINE-IN or TAKE-OUT

See flyer below for details:

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He was born November 20, 1951 in Quaker Bridge, NY, the son of the late Arthur P. and Elverna S. (Abrams) Gordon Stephen was a graduate of Salamanca High School and the University of Buffalo with a Bachelors in Art. He was an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians Turtle Clan and was a Seneca Nation Councillor at the time of his retirement. A well-known musician, he was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for The Coyote Band for the past 35 years. He received a Life Time Award from the Native American Music Association. He was also an author, having written three books, “Coldspring my home, my memory, my story”, “Coldspring, a few stories” and “Coldspring our world is changing” Stephen also appeared in episodes of the hit TV show Dexter New Blood and was part of a documentary “Lake of Betrayal, The story of Kinzua Dam”

He is survived by his wife and Best Friend, Gwen E. (Nickerson) Gordon, his only daughter, Christine (Terry) Stone, of Hamilton Ontario, Canada, God Daughter, Courtney Jacobs of Salamanca, three grandsons, Marshall, Cody and Trent, three step-children; Brandon Logan of Stockton, Heather (Jon) Byrne of Alto, GA., and Amber White of Dunkirk, as well as many beloved, aunts, uncles and cousins, including: Corliss Abrams Bucktooth and Thom Abrams, and a niece, Micheleigh Garcia. Stephen was preceded in death by a grandson, Sampson and two brothers, Gary and Daniel Gordon. The family wishes to thank all of the staff at Neuro Science ICU at Buffalo General Hospital.

Funeral services were held at the Coldspring Longhouse in Steamburg (Center Road) on Monday, September 18th. Longhouse Speaker John Block spoke over Stephen and the burial was held at the Hillside Haven Cemetery, Coldspring (Steamburg).

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Submitted by Marguerite Haring

The Grandparent Club would like to say nya:wëh to all the families who sent their youth to the Haudenosaunee 2-day volleyball and youth leadership camp held on July 7 & 8, 2023 on the Cattaraugus Territory, Seneca Nation. We are so proud of our upcoming youth leaders!

This was our first year hosting this camp. It was a success and the coaches, Lauren Schad (Cheyenne River Lakota Nation), Annika Stephens, Assistant Coach NCAAA South Dakota Mines, community coach Lindsay John and the youth requested that we host the camp next year again.

Tribal affiliations attending included youth from the following Native Nations: Cattaraugus & Allegany Senecas, Tonawanda Seneca Nation, Tuscarora Nation, Onondaga Nation, Oneida Nation, Akwesasne Mohawk, and members from the Ojibwe Nation. There were 25 young leaders on the first day and 30 on the second.

We would like to send a big nya:weh to the co-sponsors: Native Pride, J.C. Seneca Foundation, Fierce Lacrosse, Seneca Diabetes Foundation, SNI President’s Office, Seneca Gaming Corporation, SNI Committee Grant, the Larry Henhawk Family, SNI employees (dress down day), Cattaraugus Community Center along with guest speakers, Dr. Rodney Haring, the Roswell Park Department of Indigenous Cancer Health outreach team, and SNI Tribal Councillor Odie Brant-Porter.

We are also thankful for the Roswell Park Health Communications team for covering the event and creating this video sharing some of the youth in action along with wellness and cancer prevention materials for youth, families, and community members.

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Highlights of the exhibition include art by G. Peter Jemison and Ken D. Williams Jr.

September 6, 2023 | nysed.gov

A new exhibition, Each One Inspired: Indigenous Art Across the Homelands, is now open for the public to view at the New York State Museum, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa announced today. The new exhibition which features more than 60 original creations of Indigenous artwork by artists whose homelands lie within what is now New York will be open through March 2024. This collection of contemporary art focuses on Indigenous histories, teachings, and communities and how they relate to and inspire our relationships and connections to our environment.

Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young, Jr. said, “Indigenous art is significant because it captures the culture, traditions, and expressions of native communities. This new exhibition will help to foster a deeper understanding of their perspectives and help to promote cultural diversity and appreciation of the identities and contributions of Indigenous people to the history of our State.”

State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said, “When experiencing this new exhibition, Museum guests will have the opportunity to make strong connections with Indigenous art, heritage, and traditions and how they relate to the profound history of New York State. Furthermore, the display of this exceptional collection helps to promote cross-cultural understanding while also sharing unique artistic expressions and the resilience of Indigenous people.”

The exhibition is organized in interrelated themes which are central to Indigenous art and culture: Lands; Ancestors and Histories; Community, Nation, and Family; and Plants and Animals.

Highlights of the exhibition include:

G. Peter Jemison
Onöndowa’ga:’ (Seneca)
1687 War (after Guernica), 2015
Acrylic, watercolor, and pencil on hot press paper

Ganondagan State Historic Site, where Peter was the site manager from 1985 to 2022, is located on what was once a Seneca village. In 1687, the French forces attacked the village. However, they were outsmarted by the Seneca who sent their women and children safely away and burned the remaining crops and longhouses before the French could destroy them. Jemison’s painting references Picasso’s Guernica (1937) to make a statement about the horrors of warfare.

Ken D. Williams Jr.
Onöndowa’ga:’ (Seneca) and Arapaho
We Continue Her Beautiful Legacy, 2019
Glass beads, Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, silk, polished Quahog shell

Gahano, or Caroline Parker, (1826–1892) was an extraordinary beadwork artist from the Tonawanda Seneca Nation. Her brother, Ely Parker, introduced her to his friend, anthropologist Lewis H. Morgan, in the mid-1840s. With the assistance of the Parker family, Morgan donated a collection of Haudenosaunee material culture items to New York State between 1847 and 1851.

Morgan commissioned a series of daguerreotypes featuring members of the Parker family, including one with Gahano that serves as the model for Williams’s portrayal of her on his beaded bag. The garments Gahano wears were made by her and are part of the State Museum’s collections. Gahano’s legacy to Haudenosaunee beadworkers continues to influence artists, including Williams, who lovingly depicts her in Swarovski crystals and vintage glass beads, surrounded by designs from the beadwork for which she is well known.

For more information: https://www.nysed.gov/news/2023/new-york-state-museum-opens-exhibition-each-one-inspired-indigenous-art-across-homelands

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Sarah Stafford | 27th Legislative District

Sarah Stafford, Seneca Nation descendant, is a Senior Tribal Specialist with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Child Care (OCC). She has 15 years of experience working in Indigenous early learning at the tribal nation, national, and state levels. She has supported tribal nations in implementing comprehensive Child Care and Development Fund programs that meet the diverse needs of Native children and families. In her work, she brings awareness to tribal sovereignty, racial equity, and culturally responsive practices.

Sarah has served as a Washington State Indian Education Association board member, Puget Sound Educational Service District Racial Equity Transformation Team member, and as co- author of the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty Early Learning Curriculum. Sarah received her Bachelor of Arts degree in American Indian Studies from the University of Washington. This special opportunity would support her goals of running for elected office.

Ja:göh, Sarah!

Learn more: https://nativeactionnetwork.org/abc-cohort-2

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Merchant Maverick, a leading resource in the B2B space, is thrilled to announce its Opportunity Grants for Native American-owned small businesses. This initiative is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to foster positive change and bridge the funding gap faced by underrepresented communities.

About the Opportunity Grants Program
Merchant Maverick started the grant program in 2021 and awarded four $10,000 grants to Female Black-owned startups. In 2022, they awarded ten $10,000 grants to AAPI-owned businesses in the food industry. And in June of 2023, they gave a single $10,000 grant to a children’s bookstore in Portland, Oregon.

Key Dates & Eligibility Criteria
Merchant Maverick’s second Opportunity Grant of 2023 will go to an American Indian/Native American-owned small business. An eligible business must:

• Have a business address and location in the United States
• Be majority-owned by a registered member of a federally recognized American Indian or Alaskan Native tribe

Applications opened September 1, 2023, and close on November 30, 2023. The winner will be announced before the end of the year in 2023.

Why Focus on Native American Businesses?
According to the 2020 Census, American Indians and Alaska Natives own over 26,000 businesses in the U.S., contributing nearly $36 billion in receipts and employing over 215,000 people. Despite these contributions, systemic barriers such as historical traumas, federal policies, and lack of infrastructure have hindered the financial growth of these communities. Merchant Maverick aims to alleviate some of these challenges by offering these targeted grants.

LINK TO GRANT APPLICATION: https://lnkd.in/g9KcX_Ud

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ganondagan.org

Ganondagan is pleased to announce its sixth juried Hodinöhsö:ni’ Art Show to be exhibited at the Seneca Art & Culture Center – during our Native American Winter Arts Market on Saturday, December 2nd, 2023. We are calling for Haudenosaunee artists in the six divisions of: Beadwork, Basketry, Traditional Arts, Fine Art 2D, Fine Art 3D, and Photography to enter up to three pieces of new work for consideration in the show. (First Place – $1,250; Second Place – $750; Third Place – $500; Best in Show – $2,500). Each artist may submit up to three pieces of their own work for the show.

All artwork must be available to purchase, and Ganondagan will have right of first refusal (the right to purchase before any other offers are considered).

All artwork submitted must be the actual piece (not representative) and must be complete at time of application.

Complete applications must be received by Wednesday, November 1st, 2023; incomplete applications will not be considered. Artists will be notified by email on Friday, November 10th if their submissions have been accepted into the show.

Artists will then have to deliver their work by Tuesday, November 28th, 2023 for installation and judging. New this year is a hub pick up & drop off for accepted work in Syracuse, Akwesasne, and Cattaraugus, more information will be sent with acceptance letters. Awards will be presented at the opening reception on Friday, December 1st, 2023; we encourage participating artists to attend the opening reception.

Please review the full set of rules and application carefully, available at:

https://ganondagan.org/2023-hodinohso-ni-art-show-submission

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