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92-818: The other two federally recognized Seneca tribes are located in New York: the Seneca Nation of New York and the Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians . There is one other federally recognized Cayuga tribe, the Cayuga Nation of New York . The Seneca–Cayuga Nation have an elected system of government, consisting of two governing bodies: the Reservation Business Committee (RBC), which acts as the Tribe's legislative council and oversees

184-477: A 99-year federal lease arrangement with the Seneca Nation. It had provided land to railroads to encourage development, which the railroad developed for workers and their families, and related businesses. This arrangement was confirmed by acts of Congress in 1875, 1890 and 1990. When that lease expired in 1991, the Seneca Nation demanded that the previous owners sign new leases with their nation for not only

276-551: A December 2016 incident in which six non-natives were banished from the nation's territories, two of whom were banned for traffic violations and the other four for drug possession. Since the later 20th century, the Seneca have been increasingly active in exercising sovereignty on their reservation and enforcing their property rights. In the 1990s, the Seneca won a prolonged court battle to assume ownership of all land on their reservation, including that owned by private non-Seneca. (This

368-406: A Porter ally, invalidated this vote under conflict of interest statutes. In an October 2012 Council Session, a close friend of Kennedy said that Porter wrote the invalidation letter for Kennedy to sign. The action for de facto impeachment was taken after John supporters said politically motivated charges were made against Susan Abrams, a John ally. The 2012 elections were marked by a split in

460-558: A across the board sweep by the Seneca Party, who endorsed Matthew Pagels for President, Rickey Armstrong Sr., for Treasurer, and Marta Kettle for Clerk. They defeated the Senecas for Change 2020 ticket led by presidential candidate and businesswoman Sally Snow, newcomer treasurer candidate Karen Johnson Veeraswamy, clerk candidate and former court of appeals judge Julie Snow, and Independent treasurer candidate Stephen Maybee. Elected to

552-532: A bad reputation and were sometimes called "Blue Mingo" or "Black Mingo" for their misdeeds. The people who became known as Mingo migrated to the Ohio Country along the river in the mid-eighteenth century, part of a movement of various Native American tribes away from European pressures to a region that had been sparsely populated for decades but controlled as a hunting ground by the Iroquois League of

644-564: A band of Cayuga from Canada joined the Seneca in Indian Territory. In 1902, several years before Oklahoma Territory was admitted as a state, 372 members of the joint tribe received individual land allotments under a federal program to extinguish communal tribal land holdings so that statehood could take place, and to encourage assimilation to the European-American model. This resulted in considerable loss of their lands in

736-700: A chain of small video slots and bingo facilities with locations in Irving , Salamanca , and on the Oil Spring Reservation in Cuba . Through a tribal-owned holding company , the tribe owns a telecommunications firm, Seneca Telecommunications; and a construction management company, SCMC LLC. Under the presidency of Robert Odawi Porter, the tribe began pursuing diversification of the Nation's businesses. It promoted founding of new Seneca-owned businesses beyond

828-526: A community building in Grove for public events. The Seneca–Cayuga have a Class II casino near Grove, Oklahoma . They also have a cigarette manufacturing plant there, which makes their Skydancer brand cigarettes. By investing a large portion of their gaming and industry profits into their community, since the late 20th century and passage of Indian gaming laws, the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe has gone from being

920-527: A constitutional convention. The Seneca Nation of Indians Constitution established a tri-partite governing structure based on general elections of 16 Councilors, three Executives (President, Treasurer, and Clerk), and Court Justices (Surrogates and Peacemakers). Elections take place every two years, on the first Tuesday in November, usually concurrent with Election Day in the United States. An exception

1012-413: A convenience store chain (four stores), construction management, and diverse holdings in business ventures. Seneca language, song, art, dance, and sports are all vital expressions of their culture. The number of fluent Seneca language speakers is diminishing due to the deaths of elders, and the language is considered at-risk. The Nation has established language programs to help protect, preserve and develop

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1104-525: A decisive victory for Seneca Nation President. Seneca secured 87% of the vote, marking a resounding mandate from voters. Outgoing Allegany Councilor Al E. George was elected Treasurer, bringing his experience to the role after serving on the Council. Additionally, former two-time Clerk Lenith Waterman returned to office, regaining the position as Clerk of the Seneca Nation. The Seneca Nation Council saw several familiar faces returning to leadership roles. From

1196-557: A destitute people to enjoying a fair amount of social prosperity. The tribe issues its own tribal vehicle tags . Their estimated annual economic impact is $ 751,000. In 2009, they made $ 98,000 in charitable donations. The Seneca , or Onödowága (meaning "People of the Great Hill"), traditionally lived in what is now New York between the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake . The name Cayuga (Gayogohó:no') means "People of

1288-485: A few hundred acres and relocation assistance for these families, as well as the relocation of a burial ground. That this compensation was largely considered insufficient was made worse by the fact that the government' violated a 1794 treaty- that guaranteed the tribe control of this reservation- in order to accomplish the building of the dam. In addition, the Kinzua damn project has since caused other flooding on their land and

1380-702: A gambling casino within proximity to New York's major population centers. The US Department of the Interior is still evaluating the tribe's trust application. Groups such as the Upstate Citizens for Equality in New York have opposed the revival of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois nations) land claims in the state. They particularly object to out-of-state tribes' attempting to enter into cases related to treaties made after such tribes' ancestors had left

1472-899: A long-standing "illegal occupation". The Seneca were the largest of the six Native American nations that comprised the Haudenosaunee (" Iroquois ") Confederacy, or Six Nations. Their democratic government pre-dates the United States Constitution. In the Iroquois Confederacy, the Seneca are known as the "Keepers of the Western Door," for they are the westernmost of the Six Nations. In the Seneca language they are called O-non-dowa-gah, (pronounced: Oh-n'own-dough-wahgah) or "Great Hill People." At

1564-508: A new generation of Seneca-language speakers to keep the language alive. Lacrosse is a sport played by male and female, young and old. Two new community sports complexes on each territory enable year-round lacrosse leagues and space for community programs, crafts and learning. Like other Iroquois tribes, Seneca Nation lacrosse players compete internationally on the Iroquois Nationals and Haudenosaunee Nationals squads, organized by

1656-490: A party's candidates for office with a single ballot mark by intimidating candidates from other parties out of the race, and on election day, poll workers eavesdrop upon voters by timing how long it takes to cast a ballot. In years past, the nation has used lever-action voting machines, a process that will be replaced as of 2016 by scanned paper ballots, If a poll worker heard a voter depress more than one lever, or take too long to complete their ballot, they could report this back to

1748-731: A portion of the Canawaugus settlement as of 2022, which is not federally recognized. An additional territory de facto governed by the nation, the Cornplanter Tract in Pennsylvania , officially expired in 1957 and was submerged by the construction of the Allegheny Reservoir in 1965. In 1848, Seneca Indians residing on the Allegany and Cattaraugus Territories in New York established this government through

1840-415: A price advantage over off-territory businesses, as well as on-territory businesses operated by non-Seneca. Issues related to these excise taxes have been a source of controversy between the tribes and the state government and non-Seneca convenience store operators in the vicinity for several decades. For decades, the Seneca developed their land primarily for agricultural and related uses. The floodplain along

1932-636: A prosperous people who, preparing to leave Ohio, loaded their considerable baggage (clothing, household goods, tools, seed) onto a steamboat to sail to St. Louis . The trip to their new home took eight months, plagued by delays, blizzards, disease, and death. Upon their arrival in Indian Territory, the Iroquois band found their assigned lands overlapped those of the Cherokee. Another band (the Mixed Band of Seneca and Shawnee) traded their Ohio lands for

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2024-642: A reservation along the Sandusky River . They were joined there by the Algonquian-speaking Shawnee of Ohio and the rest of the Mingo confederacy. Their villages were increasingly an amalgamation of Iroquoian-speaking Seneca, Wyandot , and Susquehannock; Siouan -language speaking Tutelo and Algonquian -language Shawnee and Delaware migrants. Although the Iroquois Confederacy had claimed hunting rights and sovereignty over much of

2116-447: A state, 372 members of the joint tribe received individual land allotments in exchange for becoming US citizens and withdrawing from the traditional tribe, in order to facilitate acceptance of the territory as a state. Today, the tribal roll numbers approximately 5,000 members, many of whom live throughout Ottawa and Delaware counties . The tribal headquarters is located 10 miles from Grove, Oklahoma . The current Seneca–Cayuga Nation

2208-401: A through road, causing the loss of additional fertile areas. In the aftermath of the dam's completion, the Seneca people developed a different political dynamic. As the tribe used some compensation monies to support higher education for its members, the 1960s crisis indirectly resulted in a "college-educated generation, some of whom now work in tribal government making major contributions to

2300-590: A tract in Indian Territory, which turned out to be wholly within the Cherokee Nation. An 1832 treaty, the first made by the U.S. with the immigrant Indians within the boundaries of present-day Oklahoma, adjusted the boundaries and created the "United Nation of Seneca and Shawnee." During the American Civil War , the Indian Territory became a battleground as Confederate sympathizers dominated several tribes. Many Seneca and Cayuga people who favored

2392-590: Is chartered as a Federal Corporation under the Act of June 26, 1936, by which Oklahoma encouraged the tribes to reorganize their governments. On May 15, 2014, the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Miami Agency conducted a referendum election to change the Constitution and Bylaws at the request of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma Business Committee. As a result of this referendum,

2484-468: Is in years when November 1 is a Tuesday; in those years, the Seneca Nation hold their election on November 1 while the US hold their elections on November 8. The leadership rotates between the two reservations each election, so no officer can serve consecutive terms. There are no other term limits , and elected officers can serve numerous nonconsecutive terms. The Council established rules for citizenship within

2576-829: The First Nations Lacrosse Association , which competes on par with fully sovereign nations such as the U.S. and Canada in international competition. A Faithkeepers' School supports and ensures the ongoing practice of traditional teachings, arts, knowledge and the living culture of the Longhouse ways. The vibrancy of the rich Seneca heritage is evident in the ceremonies, practices, and cultural events that are infused with dance, music and song, arts, crafts and traditional foods that honor and celebrate Seneca culture. Mingoes The Mingo people are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans , primarily Seneca and Cayuga , who migrated west from New York to

2668-411: The Ohio Country in the mid-18th century, and their descendants. Some Susquehannock survivors also joined them, and assimilated. Anglo-Americans called these migrants mingos , a corruption of mingwe , an Eastern Algonquian name for Iroquoian-language groups in general. The Mingo have also been called "Ohio Iroquois" and "Ohio Seneca". Most were forced to move from Ohio to Indian Territory in

2760-690: The Ohio River Valley since the late 17th century, these peoples in Ohio increasingly acted independently. When Pontiac's Rebellion broke out in 1763 against the British at the end of the French and Indian War, many Mingo joined with other tribes in an attempt to drive the British out of the Ohio Country. At that time, most of the six Iroquois nations based in New York (who then numbered six, as

2852-687: The Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario . The Seneca Nation has three reservations, two of which are occupied: Cattaraugus Reservation , Allegany Indian Reservation , and the mostly unpopulated Oil Springs Reservation . It has two alternating capitals on the two occupied reservations: Irving at Cattaraugus Reservation, and Jimerson Town near Salamanca on the Allegany Reservation. The tribe also claims sovereignty over

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2944-500: The 1848 convention. Followers of the traditional government structure split off and organized the Tonawanda Band, who later also gained federal recognition. The Seneca Nation government denied women the right to vote until the early 1960s, this despite the traditional pre-republic structure in which women were granted the right to choose chiefs. The nation's male voters rejected female suffrage in three consecutive referendums in

3036-560: The 1950s, all rejected with widespread opposition from the Allegany Reservation, before the referendum finally passed in 1964, with women granted the right to hold office in 1966. Since the late 20th century, the Seneca government is reported to be primarily under one-party rule , with the Seneca Party having control of the political process. In 2011, the Seneca Party was reported by The Buffalo News as having bribed people for votes and bussed voters in from out of state during elections. The party also controls human resources management in

3128-715: The Allegany Territory, the Council included Rickey L. Armstrong, Sr., the outgoing president of the Seneca Nation, who was re-elected to the Council, Kevin W. Seneca, a former Nation Treasurer and Chairman of the Seneca Gaming Corporation, who returned to Council, Christian Reiller, and Josh Becker. From the Cattaraugus Territory, the newly elected Council members included Klint Nephew, Eliot Jimerson, Lisa Maybee, and Jonathan D. Williams. With Seneca’s election to President, his seat on

3220-714: The American Revolutionary War. At the time, Great Britain ceded its territory south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi River to the newly independent American states, including most of the lands controlled by the Iroquois in New York and Pennsylvania. Some of the Six Nations also have bands with reservations in New York State, their original homeland. In the US, these governments are recognized as separate tribes. Logan and

3312-565: The Cattaraugus Territory Council became vacant. To fill the remainder of his term, former Nation President and Treasurer Todd Gates was appointed to the Cattaraugus Council, bringing a wealth of experience back to the Council table. The election reflected the Seneca Nation's continued commitment to strong governance and leadership, with a mix of experienced leaders and new voices coming together to shape

3404-648: The Cattaraugus Territory. Tina Abrams, Rickey Armstrong, William "Billy" Canella and Stephen Gordon were elected to the Council from the Allegany Territory. The Seneca Party nominated then Treasurer/CFO, Todd Gates, as its nominee for President in September 2016, spurning Barry Snyder's efforts at a sixth term; Snyder, a supporter of the party machine, endorsed Gates, who faced challengers J.C. Seneca and Sally Snow. The Seneca Nation elections took place on November 1, 2016. Gates defeated candidates J.C. Seneca and Sally Snow for President. Outgoing President Maurice "Moe" John

3496-641: The Cayuga Land Claim and SCT v Town of Aurealius. The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe (SCT) has claimed that they are more Cayuga than Seneca; hence the Cayuga Land Claim. There are 5000 SCT members compared to 300 Cayuga members in New York; some of the SCT tried to assert their claims to the Cayuga Reservation over the members and descendants who have lived there for generations. The Seneca–Cayuga Tribe asserted that its members were equally descendants of

3588-741: The Cayuga Nation. But the U.S. Indian Claims Commission in Strong v. United States (1973) ruled that ancestors of the Seneca–Cayuga were not a party to the treaties between the Cayuga Nation and New York . Their ancestors had already left the state before 1794, when the treaties were made following the American Revolution . Therefore, the Claims Commission found that the Seneca–Cayuga should not have any claim based on

3680-516: The Five Nations. The "Mingo dialect" that dominated the Ohio valley from the late 17th to early 18th centuries is considered a variant most similar to the Seneca language . After the French and Indian War (1754-1763), France was defeated and ceded its lands east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain. Many Cayuga people of the Five Nations also moved to Ohio, where the British granted them

3772-572: The Great Swamp" and they also lived in what was later known as western New York. Both tribes were part of the Iroquoian languages family. The Seneca are the largest tribe of the Five Nations (or League of the Iroquois ) who traditionally lived in New York. The Five Nations are the Mohawk , Oneida , Onondaga , Cayuga and Seneca . The latter were the westernmost nation, known as "Keepers of

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3864-504: The Nation's traditional strongholds of gasoline retail and tobacco products. In 2010 the tribe acquired a controlling interest in wireless and telecommunications provider CT COMM, based in Washington, D.C. From 2010 to 2021, Seneca Holding also owned and operated Seneca Broadcasting LLC, which operated radio station WGWE . The Seneca Nation sold WGWE to Paul Izard shortly after shutting the station down but failed to disclose problems with

3956-640: The Old World-American settlers, particularly in regards to treaty agreements. In 1995, the Seneca Nation of Indians sent a trade mission to Egypt in hopes of encouraging trade between the Iroquois nation and the northeast African country. Seneca leaders also meet with OAPEC representatives to discuss a possible trade deal whereby the nation would trade agricultural commodities for Egyptian refined gasoline. The nation claims authority to banish non-Seneca individuals from tribal lands; it has historically used this power in only rare circumstances, such as

4048-508: The River. While alternatives existed, the federal government's study concluded that these were not viable. The COE proceeded with the project: construction of the dam and associated reservoir. The project caused huge losses for the tribe, taking 10,000 acres of their reservation, nearly one third of their total property and much of it the most fertile farmland. More than 600 families were displaced from their homes and relocated. The tribe received

4140-552: The Second Chief, Secretary-Treasurer, Second and Fourth RBC Members and Second and Fourth Grievance Committee Members are elected. All elected Business Committee terms are four years. The Seneca–Cayuga criteria for Nation membership are: There are 5,059 enrolled members of the Nation, of which 1,174 live in Oklahoma. The Seneca-Cayuga Language and Cultural Society hosts cultural events, such as Stomp dances . The tribe has

4232-657: The Seneca Nation and the state of New York following the American Revolution, as their ancestors had left the state and settled in Ohio well before that time. The Seneca Nation of New York ultimately reached a settlement with the state of New York in relation to their claim to property around Cuba Lake . The tribe applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the opportunity to purchase land in New York and have it taken into trust. They wanted to be able to operate

4324-446: The Seneca Party and one of the most wide-open (and bitterly contested) Seneca elections in several years: five candidates competed for the post of president, including two endorsed by the two major factions in the Seneca Party. Barry E. Snyder Sr., a John ally who had previously served several other terms as President (including the one immediately before Porter), was re-elected to the post in 2012. On November 4, 2014, with 66 percent of

4416-487: The Seneca Party bosses, who could then punish the voter by denying them jobs or seizing their homes. There have been numerous factions and disputes within the Seneca Party; tensions increased during the presidency of attorney Robert Odawi Porter in 2010–2012. Supporters of Porter were at odds with supporters of the John family, an old-line, politically powerful family in Seneca circles. In the years following Porter's lone term,

4508-497: The Seneca ordered an eviction of 80 residents of summer cottages at Snyder Beach on the Cattaraugus Reservation, a location near Sunset Bay . They had previously notified the owner of the land that his leases to non-Seneca were not permissible, but he had done nothing to clear his property. Some of the residents were from families who had rented there for decades. The Seneca described the non-Natives as constituting

4600-491: The Seneca were also renowned for their sophisticated diplomacy and oratory skills, and their willingness to unite with the other four of the original Five Nations to form the Iroquois Confederacy of Nations. Today the Seneca Nation sustains its own people. Its enterprises benefit surrounding communities with a variety of cultural, educational and economic efforts. Its varied enterprises include: world-class casino gaming, hospitality and entertainment, which employ over 3,500 people;

4692-514: The Seneca–Cayugas' ancestors (who were known as Mingoes ) from the Six Nations. It noted their migration to Ohio in the mid-18th century: "The Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma constitutes the descendants of those Mingoes who were living in Ohio in the 18th century ... About 1800 these Senecas of Sandusky were joined by a portion of the Cayugas who had sold their lands in New York ... Based upon

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4784-455: The Tuscarora had joined them from the South about 1722) were closely allied to the British because of their lucrative fur trading. Guyasuta (c. 1725–c. 1794), a chief of the Mingo-Seneca, was one of the leaders in Pontiac's War. Another famous Mingo leader was Chief Logan (c. 1723–1780), who had good relations with neighboring white settlers. He was not a war chief , but a village leader. In 1774, as tensions between whites and Indians were on

4876-438: The US granted them a reservation along the Sandusky River . They were joined there by the Shawnee of Ohio and members of other Iroquois bands. All the main Iroquois nations except the Oneida and Tuscarora had allied with the British in the Revolution. They were considered defeated in the war. The British gave up both their and Iroquois claims to lands in treaty negotiations, and the Iroquois were forced to cede their lands to

4968-442: The Union fled to Kansas for safety, although the state was also subject to insurgent violence. Following the war, in 1867, federal negotiators sold part of the Seneca–Cayuga lands to various tribes. They arranged for separation of the Shawnee (who became recognized as the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma ). In 1881, a band of Cayuga from Canada joined the Seneca Tribe in Indian Territory. In 1902, shortly before Oklahoma became

5060-431: The United States. Most relocated to Canada after the Treaty of Canandaigua in 1794, although some bands were allowed small reservations in New York. New York made separate purchases and leases of land from the Indians, which were not ratified by the US Congress. The Indian Claims Commission's opinion in Strong v. United States (1973), 31 Ind. Cl. Comm 89 at 114, 116, 117 details the separation of this small band of

5152-414: The Western Door." When the Tuscarora joined the Iroquois Confederation in 1722, after migrating from North Carolina, the confederacy was known as the Six Nations. The Tuscarora are also an Iroquoian-language people who had migrated to the South centuries before. They were driven out by warfare with other tribes and English colonists. In the mid to late 18th century, a confederation of Iroquois Indian bands

5244-432: The activities of these Mingoes in Ohio during the 18th century is that they constituted independent bands who often acted in concert with other Ohio Indians. Their actions do not support the conclusion that they remained politically affiliated with the Six Nations of New York." In 1831, the Tribe sold their land in Ohio and accepted a reservation in the Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). They were

5336-436: The council from the Allegany Territory were longtime council members Al E. George, Arlene Bova, outgoing marshal Josh Becker, and former Seneca Nation Health System president/chief executive officer, Tim Waterman. Councilors elected from the Cattaraugus Territory were the Seneca’s environmental director, Lisa Maybee, current councilor and fire chief of the Nation’s volunteer fire department, Presley Redeye, deputy chief of staff to

5428-448: The daily governing of the Tribe, and the Grievance Committee, which acts as the Tribe's judiciary. The Reservation Business Committee consists of seven members: Chief, Second Chief, Secretary-Treasurer and four RBC Members. The current chief is Charlie Diebold. The Grievance Committee consists of five members. On odd years, Chief, First and Third RBC Members, and First, Third and Fifth Grievance Committee Members are elected. On even years,

5520-448: The dam was constructed in 1965. The operator at the time, FirstEnergy of Toledo, Ohio, had a license that was set to expire in 2015. The private sector is estimated to have been making $ 13 million in profits annually from the hydropower. President Porter has noted that, when the federal dam was proposed, tribal leaders were told only that it was needed for flood control, not that a hydroelectric project would be run there. In August 2011,

5612-421: The dam. FERC denied a rehearing and stay requested by the company. In 2013, the Seneca launched a public transit bus service to serve both the Cattaraugus and the western portion of the Allegany reservations; it operates one route, running along NY 438 , NY 353 , Old Route 17 , I-86 and West Perimeter Road between Irving and Highbanks . The service is open to non-Seneca along the route. Mary Jemison

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5704-403: The disputes have mostly been settled. In November 2011, the John family led a vote to depose Porter by stripping him of most of his powers and give the title of chief executive officer to Michael "Spike" John. He is the cousin of Maurice "Moe" John, who served as Seneca president from 2006 to 2008, and ran unsuccessfully for Seneca President against Porter in 2010. Diane Kennedy, Tribal Clerk and

5796-442: The early 1830s under the federal Indian Removal program. At the turn of the 20th century, they lost control of communal lands when property was allocated to individual households in a government assimilation effort related to the Dawes Act and extinguishing Indian claims to prepare for the admission of Oklahoma as a state . In the 1930s, Mingo descendants reorganized as a tribe with self-government. They were recognized by

5888-482: The enrolled citizens. These off-territory members are eligible to vote and are often bussed in during elections. The Seneca Nation's republican form of government stands in contrast to that of the federally recognized Tonawanda Band of Seneca Indians . That band of the Seneca retained its traditional government of hereditary chiefs chosen by clan mothers from the maternal lines responsible for such leadership. The Seneca Nation of New York deposed such hereditary leaders in

5980-441: The federal government in 1937 as the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma . The etymology of the name Mingo derives from the Delaware (Lenape) word, mingwe or Minque , as adapted from their Algonquian language, meaning "stealthy". In the 17th century, the terms Minqua or Minquaa were used interchangeably to refer to the five nations of the Iroquois League and to the Susquehannock, another Iroquoian-speaking people. The Mingo had

6072-453: The following decades. In 1937 after the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act was passed, the descendants of these tribes reorganized to re-establish self-government. They identified as the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma and became federally recognized. Today, the tribe numbers over 5,000 members. They continue to maintain cultural and religious ties to the Six Nations of the Iroquois , which have been based largely in Ontario, Canada since after

6164-503: The future of the Nation. The 2024 election cycle marked a significant moment in Seneca Nation politics, as it reinforced the importance of both continuity and change in the leadership of the Nation's government. The tribe owns and operates the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino , located in Buffalo . Other gaming and resort properties include the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca and Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls . The Seneca Nation also owns Seneca Gaming and Entertainment,

6256-475: The government pressured the Mingo to sell their lands and migrate west of the Mississippi River to Kansas , which they did in 1832. In Kansas, the Mingo joined other Seneca and Cayuga bands, and the tribes shared the Neosho Reservation. In 1869, after the American Civil War , the US government pressed for Indian removal of these tribes from Kansas to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). The three tribes moved to present-day Ottawa County, Oklahoma . In 1881,

6348-401: The loss of land that the Cayuga suffered in New York as a result of the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. Similarly, the Seneca–Cayuga Nation attempted to intervene in the land claim suit which the Seneca Nation of Indians brought against New York . This related to land around Cuba, New York . Again, the courts ruled that the Seneca–Cayuga had no standing in a case with roots in treaties between

6440-432: The members voted to change the name to the Seneca–Cayuga Nation. Despite having left New York more than two centuries ago, the Seneca–Cayuga Nation (SCT) closely followed emerging land claim cases in the state in the late 20th century. It attempted to join the Cayuga Nation in its suit for land claims in New York. The Seneca Cayuga Tribe successfully enjoined the Cayuga Land Claim, per Federal Judge McCurn's ruling in both

6532-491: The nation's various enterprises, allowing them to hire people for patronage jobs and fire people for political dissent. Opposing political parties have accused the party of electoral malfeasance through violating the secret ballot . According to J.C. Seneca, a former Seneca Party politician who defected from the party in 2014, the ruling class has ensured that only the Seneca Party has had enough candidates to qualify for straight-ticket voting in which voters can select all of

6624-428: The nation. In the 21st century, the Seneca Nation of Indians in New York has a total enrolled population of nearly 8,000 citizens. Its territories are mostly rural with several residential areas. Many Seneca citizens live off-territory, and some are located across the United States, as well as in other countries. Off-territory residents, who often work in remote urban areas that provide more jobs, comprise nearly half of

6716-673: The nation’s present and future." In a major action, in 2010 the Nation filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to take over operations of the hydropower works, the Seneca Pumped Storage Project at Kinzua Dam . Robert Odawi Porter, president of the tribe, said this would not only help the tribe to diversify its economy, but be a means of compensation for environmental and property losses that accompanied flooding of 10,000 acres of tribal areas after

6808-504: The peace conference, he expressed his thoughts about the encroachment by Europeans in " Logan's Lament ." His speech was printed and widely distributed. It is one of the most well-known examples of Native American oratory. By 1830, the Mingo were flourishing in western Ohio, where they had improved their farms and established schools and other civic institutions. After the US passed the Indian Removal Act in that same year,

6900-552: The people cultivated the Three Sisters staple crops: varieties of corn, beans, and squash. In Seneca the Three Sisters are also called Deohako (pronounced: Jo- hay- ko), "the life supporters." Generally women cultivated and processed the crops, maintaining seed crops and experimenting with varieties, and men were subsistence hunters and fishers. The Seneca were highly skilled at warfare, and were considered fierce adversaries by other Native Americans and European colonists. But

6992-669: The private hydropower project to use the Allegheny Reservoir, but no operator had ever obtained property rights from the Seneca Nation for operation of the dam. On July 22, 2015, the Commission issued a new 50-year license to Seneca Generation to continue operation of the Kinzua Project, effective December 1, 2015. That year, Seneca Generation sought relief from requirements by federal resource agencies related to measures to protect rare and endangered species below

7084-455: The record in these proceedings, we believe that by the time of the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty, the Mingoes in Ohio were small, independent bands, no longer politically subservient to the Six Nations of New York ... [B]eginning shortly before 1750, the Mingoes themselves were asserting their independence from the Six Nations of New York ... The only conclusion which can be reached from an analysis of

7176-439: The rise due to a series of violent conflicts, a band of white outlaws murdered his family. Local chiefs counseled restraint, but acknowledged his right to revenge. He conducted a series of raids against white settlers with a dozen followers, not all of whom were Mingo. Logan did not participate in the resulting Lord Dunmore's War . He was not likely to have been at the climactic Battle of Point Pleasant . Rather than take part in

7268-491: The river was highly fertile. In the 1960s, members of the tribe became increasingly politically active. This was related to asserting sovereignty as part of a general Native American activism in this period and, specifically, to try to defeat proposals by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to take thousands of acres of reservation land as part of construction of Kinzua Dam , a flood-control project on

7360-476: The state. Seneca Nation of New York The Seneca Nation of Indians is a federally recognized Seneca tribe based in western New York . They are one of three federally recognized Seneca entities in the United States, the others being the Tonawanda Band of Seneca (also in western New York) and the Seneca-Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma. Some Seneca also live with other Iroquois peoples on

7452-619: The station's transmitter or terms in WGWE's broadcast tower lease, prompting Izard to quickly donate the station to Family Life Network and accuse the Seneca Nation and the tower owner of malfeasance. The tribe has developed a brand of cigarettes called Native Pride. The tribe also owns a small chain of smoke shops and gas stations under the "Seneca One Stop" brand, but the vast majority of smoke shops on Seneca reservations are independently owned. Seneca-owned businesses operated on sovereign land are exempt from New York state excise taxes, giving them

7544-852: The time of the formation of the Iroquois League, the original five nations occupied large areas of land in Northeast North America, particularly present-day New York, Pennsylvania, and Southeast Canada. The historical territoryof the Seneca Nation ran throughout the Finger Lakes area in Central New York, and in the Genesee Valley in Western New York. The Seneca lived in longhouses near rivers, and their villages were well fortified with wooden-stake palisade fences. These were settled communities in which

7636-476: The treasurer, Eliot “Chub” Jimerson, current councilor and former chief marshal, Keith White. In 2024, the aforementioned J.C. Seneca reconciled with the Seneca Party and received its nomination for President as part of its slate of candidates. The 2024 Seneca Nation election resulted in significant changes to the leadership of the Seneca Nation, with a strong showing of support for Cattaraugus Councilor J.C. Seneca, who defeated independent challenger Mike General in

7728-448: The tribe received a preliminary permit from FERC to study "the feasibility of the additional hydropower operations and [it] grants them priority status in filing for the full permit." The Nation was required to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to obtain documents relevant to adding new generation infrastructure to its dam. In November 2013, FERC approved FirstEnergy's sale of 11 hydro plants, including that at Kinzua Dam, which

7820-416: The underlying land, but also the improvements as well, or be evicted. The Seneca evicted fifteen property owners from their homes for refusing to sign over their properties. The increase in lease revenue from this reinterpretation has generated sufficient revenue for the nation to pay its enrolled members a quarterly social dividend , providing those members with a basic income . In a similar case in 2012,

7912-476: The vote in the November 6th, 2018 general election. The Seneca Party won all Seneca Nation offices, Councilors elected were Tina Abrams, William Canella, Josh Jimerson, Angie Kennedy, Llona LeRoy, Robert W. Jones, Ross John Sr., and John Adlai Williams Jr. Andrew Keyes and Brandon Crouse were elected Chief Marshals; Darby LeRoy, Cheyne Jimerson, Rory Wheeler, Josh Becker, Christopher Bova, and Randy White were elected Marshals. The 2020 Seneca Nation election featured

8004-529: The vote, Maurice "Moe" John of the Seneca Party was elected to serve as President of the Seneca Nation of Indians. John faced council member Darlene Miller, who ran on the One Nation Party ticket. The Seneca Party had a landslide victory in the 2014 Elections; Todd Gates was elected Treasurer, and Pauline "Snap" John was elected Clerk. Elected to the Council were Ross L. John Sr., Llona LeRoy, outgoing President Barry Snyder, John Adlai Williams Jr., all of

8096-557: Was elected Treasurer, Lenith Waterman was elected Clerk. Elected to Council were Linda "Soupy" Doxtator, Jeffrey Gill, Arlene Bova Michael Williams, Presley Redeye, Keith White, Al E. George and Timothy Waterman. In the 2018 Seneca Nation elections, Rickey L. Armstrong Sr., a Nation Councilor since 2014 and a past Seneca Nation President from 2002–2004, received the Seneca Party nomination for President along with Matthew Pagels for Treasurer, and Bethany Johnson for Clerk. Armstrong defeated independent candidate Stephen L. Maybee with over 89% of

8188-479: Was particularly contentious in Salamanca , where non-Native land ownership had been tolerated for decades. State and local officials said that this is the only United States city located on Indian reservation land; under the recognized law of the time, the underlying land remained Seneca owned, but "improvements" on that land were not subject to lease and were still privately owned.) The city had been developed under

8280-628: Was pushed west from throughout the Northeast. Its members moved west to escape encroachment by the colonists. It included the Mingo (from the upper Ohio River ), Susquehannock , Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Onondaga and the Seneca of Sandusky (who had lived in New York at the outset of the American Revolution ). After the Revolutionary War, some of the Cayuga moved to Ohio , where

8372-425: Was the biggest project, to a unit of independent developer LS Power Group. This did not affect any transfers of operating licenses, which FERC noted were pending separate approvals. President Porter noted that the dam has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for operators since it started in 1970, but the Seneca have not received any of that money. It also noted that the federal government had licensed

8464-570: Was the daughter of an Irish family who had settled in Pennsylvania. She was taken prisoner by Shawnee Indians during the French-and-Indian War. Historical accounts recorded by Dr. James Seaver indicate that Jemison was adopted by a Seneca tribe and became assimilated. In her lifetime she married two Seneca men, and raised their children in the Seneca culture. She was known to act as a liaison between her adopted Seneca Nation and

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