The Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s Fight to Protect the Big Woods and stop STAMP
By Margaret Wooster (WNY Environmental Alliance) with Sarah Howard (Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation + Allies of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation) June 16, 2023
One of Western New York’s greatest treasures is a 20,000-acre wetland- grassland complex located mainly in the Town of Alabama, and locally known as “Alabama Swamp.” It is also known as the Sixth Great Lake, a glacial lake now largely underground but surfacing in the plentiful streams and pools that make this watery landscape essential to the many reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds who live or pass through, especially during spring migration.
This area is also home to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, a federally recognized Nation and part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The extraordinary biodiversity of this area is in large part a testament to their ongoing stewardship and reciprocal relationship with the more-than-human beings who also call this place home.
But now, this place, and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation itself, faces an existential threat to their well-being. The Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC) has purchased 1,260 acres of habitat and farmland to build a Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) adjacent to the Nation’s territory. The site is also located within a few miles of multiple state and federally protected areas, including the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and the John White Wildlife Management Area.
The STAMP plan capitalizes on federal and state subsidies for microchip fabrication. To date, however, its only tenant is Plug Power, a hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer whose product will have to be trucked many miles to market, undermining its justification as “green power.”
Two other possible developers – semiconductor producer Edwards Vacuum and the warehouse developer Scannell Project – would pave or build over the site’s northern 600-plus acres and bring an extra 140 cars and diesel trucks per hour up the narrow country road that leads to the refuge and through the Nation.
However, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and their allies, including other local residents and numerous environmental organizations, are fighting back against this industrial development. In February, the GCEDC applied for a “Full Campus Incidental Take Permit” that would allow them to remove habitat for endangered and threatened wildlife species known to occupy the site, including the Short-Eared Owl and the Northern Harrier Hawk. In response to the hundreds of letters it received from the public about this permit, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) required the GCEDC to hold a public hearing, which took place on May 11 in the town of Basom.
More than 185 people attended the hearing. All 49 who spoke were opposed to the permit and the majority expressed opposition to the entire STAMP project. Speaking in opposition were numerous members of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, including titleholders, as well as allies from groups including the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Sierra Club, Save Ontario Shores, SUNY ESF, University of Rochester, Western New York Environmental Alliance and the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. In the words of Tonawanda Seneca Nation Sub-Chief Scott Logan (Bear Clan), “If this permit were to be granted, it would be an immense injustice to Mother Earth. And as a Haudenosaunee person, and all the Haudenosaunee People in here, that is our birthright. It is our, what we are here for, is to protect the earth. And the STAMP Project goes a hundred percent against what we are — what we’re all about.”
The STAMP site is located immediately adjacent to the Nation’s present-day reservation boundaries. Indeed, the most intensive manufacturing will be located along the project’s border with the Nation. However, as their Council of Chiefs has repeatedly stated in public comment letters and letters to agencies responsible for granting permits sought by the developers, the project’s approval process has continuously and egregiously undermined the Nation’s sovereignty. In violation of their status as a federally recognized Tribal Nation, the Tonawanda Band of Seneca’s Council of Chiefs – their traditional governance structure – has not been afforded a robust consultation process in decision-making about the project. Instead, opportunities for consultation have been perfunctory at best, and have focused almost exclusively on mitigation.
In their official letter to the NYDEC regarding the proposed Part 182 Take Permit (mentioned above), the Nation’s Council of Chiefs wrote that, “The Tonawanda Seneca Nation opposes this habitat destruction and would directly be impacted by it. The permit would allow for unmitigated incidental take on Nation lands when, inevitably, increased human presence, noise, excavation, light and traffic would disturb these species and turn them away… We do not want our Territory, people or future generations to be burdened by the negative impacts of these projects. This is a human rights issue for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Haudenosaunee, who would bear a disproportionate burden from the industrialization of the land at STAMP.”
The Council of Chiefs has demanded that a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be carried out to assess the possible impacts on the Nation, its culture and its environment; to date there has been no such study and the 2012 STAMP EIS (which did not analyze impacts on the nation) is badly outdated. Read their full statement here. As they await a decision on the Part 182 permit, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and allies continue their fight against STAMP on numerous fronts. To stay informed and to take action in support, fill out this form or email alliesoftsn@gmail.com.
NOON acknowledges that we are on the territory of the Onondaga Nation, council fire of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
We are thankful for their stewardship of our environment.
Alf Jacques, legendary stick maker who led push to preserve traditional lacrosse, dies at 74
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EVENTS:
Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community, 4934 State Highway 5, Fonda, NY
Strawberry Festival, June 24-25, 10 AM-6 PM – Donate Items to the Silent Auction to Benefit Kanatsiohareke. To donate items, please contact Kay Olan via email.
Ganondagan State Historic Site, 7000 County Road 41 (Boughton Hill Road) Victor, NY 14564
WAMPUM/OTGOÄ Exhibition, Opened March 25th, 2023 runs through September 16th, 2023, Seneca Art & Culture Center
Onekorhà:ke Karì:ware: The Matters are in the Wampum, June 17th* | 1 – 3 PM
Wampum Mini Belt Workshop, Saturday, June 24th, 10 AM – 2 PM
Saturday, July 8th | 1 PM Jamie Jacobs
Saturday, August 12th | 1 PM Skawennati
Tai Chi and Qi Gong Series, Biweekly Tuesdays – June 13 and June 27, 11AM – 11:45 AM
Bark Longhouse opens for the season, 5/3, May- October
Seneca Iroquois National Museum, 82 W Hetzel St, Salamanca, New York 14779
Iroquois Museum, 324 Caverns Road, Howes Cave, NY 12092
2023 Featured Exhibit, April 1st – November 30th
Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center After a period of being open only to scheduled group tours, the Center has reopened its doors to the public for walk-ins! Skä•noñh is now open from 10am-4pm Wednesday-Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturday.
Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign 10 Year Celebration, June 24-25 (11 am Saturday to early afternoon Sunday), Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community (near Fonda, NY) and Caroga Lake Campground
This summer is the 10th anniversary of the historic Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign. Hundreds of people came together with a spiritual commitment to renew the Covenant Chain of Friendship and educated many thousands of people about this foundational treaty and the desperate need to learn from its powerful vision and work together for a just and sustainable future for everyone.
To mark this anniversary we will gather at the annual Strawberry Festival at Kanatsiohareke on Saturday, June 24 from 11 am to 6 pm and then continue our celebrations that night and the following day at a campground about 20 minutes drive north of there. (Unfortunately, camping isn’t available to us at Kanatsiohareke.)
Camping reservations are only $20/site for the night (+$5 for those from outside NYS) and there is a reasonably priced Super 8 hotel nearby (15 minutes drive from the campground) for those who want to come but for whom camping isn’t a good option. People are responsible to arrange your own accommodations, so acting soon will mean you definitely have a place to stay!
We’re collaborating with Kanatsiohareke so there will be a time when a few Two Row organizers and participants will speak briefly and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation will have a table with information and items for sale, including a few remaining Two Row items.
We’re hoping that many folks will join us. Take a few minutes to fill out this simple online form and let us know if you can join us: https://docs.google.com/…/1TLIoSZ48txyQ7M7IOFjAleF36q8T…
Honoring the River of Life (Guswenta) The Two Row Wampum 10th Anniversary Concert, Sunday, July 30, 2023, 1:00 PM 7:00, Rail Trail Cafe, Stone Mt. Farm, 310 River Road Ext., New Paltz, NY 12561
MONTHLY:
NOON Steering Committee Open Meeting, Next meeting June 20, 7-8:30 PM. Since new people often have a lot of questions, we recommend contacting Lee Cridland, Peace Council Staff, before the meeting.
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FYI:
Native News On Line – excellent source for latest Indigenous news
The Supreme Court leaves Indian Child Welfare Act intact
Indigenous-led podcast wins Pulitzer Prize
Federal judge not inclined to shut down Line 5, begs Bad River tribe to work with Enbridge
At graduations, Native American students seek acceptance of tribal regalia
Chief Standing Bear, Native American civil rights icon, is honored on a postal stamp
This tribe’s land was cut in two by US borders. Its fight for access could help dozens of others
A new book showcases the vast uniqueness of Native American tribal identity.
Illinois has long failed to return Native American remains. Here’s how that could change
Little Free Libraries Indiginous Program
Onondaga Nation Newsletter – Anyone interested in subscribing to the Onondaga Nation’s monthly e-newsletter can email nonewsletter@gmail.com with your first and last name. One request per email address please.
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NOON RESOURCES:
Because the Syracuse Peace Council office is only open sporadically, contact Lee Cridland so she can arrange to get them to you.
The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking the Domination Code film is premised on Pagans in the Promised Land: Decoding the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, a book based on two decades of research by Shawnee, Lenape scholar Steven T. Newcomb. Available to borrow. Contact Lee Cridland via email or phone 315-472-5478
Standing on Sacred Ground Videos. Each of the 4 episodes is 60 min. Pilgrims and Tourists, Profit and Loss, Fire and Ice and Islands of Sanctuary. If you have a group of friends or know an organization that would like to view any of these films, please contact Lee Cridland phone 315-472-5478.
In addition NOON has organized dozens of educational programs over the past 20 years which are available on line at SPC’s You Tube Channel. Fifteen years ago we coordinated the historic series Onondaga Land Rights and Our Common Future. Check out the videos here.
WITNESS TO INJUSTICE: UNRAVELING HISTORIC NATIVE & U.S. RELATIONS. This inter-active group exercise is a 2 hour teaching tool that uses participatory education to raise awareness of the history of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States. Through the use of meaningful quotes, and blankets that represent part of Turtle Island (the Western Hemisphere), we explore this shared history that most people rarely learn in traditional settings. We engage in a conversation about the European colonization of Turtle Island in order to deepen our understanding of the denial of Indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout U.S. History. NOON is offering this exercise to groups, organizations, schools and churches. A good will offering to support NOON’s work is appreciated.
