Please note that we are taking a month off from sharing a feature article but will resume with a new article in September 2024.
Upcoming Events:
RG Miller: Tsi Non:we Entewaha’hara’ne / Our Path Forward
August 31 – September 22
Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), 137 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604
“Tsi NonEntewaha’hara’ne” showcases the art of R. G. Miller, a Mohawk artist and survivor of the Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School. The exhibit features large oil paintings and mixed-media artworks created by Miller from 2003-2008, vividly portraying his harrowing experiences and the ongoing impact of his trauma. This powerful display repudiates the genocidal practices of settler-colonialism and affirms Indigenous sovereignty through art. The exhibit is an important contribution to the national truth and reconciliation process in Canada, a process that has not yet begun in the US. This exhibition may be emotionally intense for some viewers, support will be available on-site during events.
Artist & Curator Talk: August 30, 6pm
Opening Reception: First Friday, September 6, 6-9pm
Resilience /Survivance/ Care with Lauren Jimerson: September 6, 6pm
Film Screening/ Q&A with Cher Obediah: September 12, 6pm
Location: Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), 137 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604
Ticket Price: $2/Free for RoCo members
Full details on RoCo website: https://www.rochestercontemporary.org/
41st Annual Iroquois Arts Festival
Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1
Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center / Seneca-Iroquois National Museum82 W Hetzel St, Salamanca, NY 14779
The Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center will examine the life of Seneca war chief Cornplanter and provide insight into life on the Cornplanter Grant in a new exhibit scheduled to open Aug. 3.
The major highlight of the exhibition will be the display of the original Cornplanter monument, erected at Cornplanter’s Grant (Pennsylvania) in 1866. It is believed to be the first memorial to commemorate a Native American in the United States. The exhibit will draw on Cornplanter’s legacy by exploring his significance in Onöndowaˊga:ˊ (Seneca) and American history through documents, photographs and artifacts including Cornplanter’s pipe tomahawk, which the New York State Museum returned to the Nation in 2020.
Clean Energy Is Not Radioactive: Protect New York’s Climate Law
Thursday, September 5, 2024. 12pm (gather), 12:30pm (press conference and picket)
Syracuse Marriott Downtown Hotel, 100 East Onondaga St, Syracuse, NY 13202
New York State can lead the way to a clean energy future by building renewable energy, yet recent State announcements make it clear our climate justice plan is in trouble. A report from the Governor’s office signals the state may be poised to push back the first major milestone of the landmark Climate Law- 70% renewable electricity by 2030- accompanied by the announcement of a NYSERDA “Future Energy Economy” summit promoting nuclear power development and other false solutions to the climate crisis.
Decades of experience have demonstrated that nuclear energy is too toxic, too dangerous, too expensive, and too slow to build to be a climate solution. Additionally, the entire nuclear “cycle” perpetuates environmental injustice. Nuclear power generation is part of a uranium fuel chain which disproportionately impacts Indigenous communities. The process creates highly toxic radioactive waste which is transported through Onondaga Nation land and directly through the city of Syracuse, in violation of treaty agreements between the US and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. All nuclear reactors (old and new) must also store waste on-site, and there is no long-term plan for storing the waste and no safe way to transport it.
Instead of undermining an urgently-needed landmark climate law by continuing to waste taxpayer money on the nuclear power industry, New York State should follow it; building proven, safe, and quicker-to-complete projects such as energy efficiency/storage/conservation technologies, new renewable energy generation like wind and solar, and electrified public transit.
Governor Hochul’s summit in Syracuse, on unceded Onondaga land, will discuss the state’s strategy for our energy future. On the agenda is the release of a “blueprint” for propping up the nuclear power industry. Join us outside this summit to protect the clean AND safe energy future everyone deserves: one where we commit to climate justice, reject nuclear and all false fixes (including “renewable” natural gas and hydrogen), and create the future that we want for generations of people yet to come.
The organizers encourage masking due to ongoing high levels of COVID-19 in our communities. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available.
Action Network Info and RSVP form (so we can reach out to you with updates): https://actionnetwork.org/events/picket-to-protect-new-yorks-climate-law-clean-energy-is-not-radioactive?clear_id=true
Carpool sign-up (for drivers and riders): https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/bh7z52
Letter to the NYS Governor and sign-on form: https://forms.gle/sFmNDaHSHuPSsHQc7
6th Annual Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival
Saturday and Sunday, September 14-15 @ 10 AM – 5 PM
Onondaga Lake Park, 106 Lake Dr, Liverpool, NY 13088, located in the heart of Onondaga Nation Territory
Restore Our Sacred Lake 5K
Saturday, September 14 @ 7 – 10 AM
Restore Our Sacred Lake 5K: We follow the Thanksgiving Address by protecting Mother Earth. The eagle has returned to Onondaga Lake for the first time in over 200 years. We invite runners and walkers to come to Onondaga Lake for a day of celebration. This event will raise awareness of the importance of the lake and the urgency of furthering the cleanup effort.
Race begins 8 AM at Onondaga Lake Wegman’s Park, with registration opening at 7 AM.
Wooden Stick Festival: The Haudenosaunee (Called “Iroquois” by colonists) are the originators and keepers of the game known today as “lacrosse.” Deyhontsigwa’ehs (“They Bump Hips,” in the Onondaga Language) goes back millennia and is also known as “The Creator’s Game” and the “Medicine Game”. Today, throughout Haudenosaunee territories, the “Medicine Game” is still played in ceremony.
In celebration, the festival will include fun activities for the whole family: traditional Haudenosaunee foods and crafters, wooden stick making demonstrations, and social singing/dancing at noon each day. The Randy Hall Masters Wood Stick Lacrosse Tournament will also be taking place throughout the weekend (Sat 9 AM – 4 PM & Sun 10 AM – 3 PM).
Smoke Dance Competition: Details TBD
World Box Lacrosse Championship
September 20-29
Utica, NY
Indigenous Peoples Day Festival
Sunday, October 13⋅11:30am – 5:30pm
Tsha’ Thoñ’nhes Arena, 3370 Rt. 11A, Onondaga Nation
A celebration of the culture and contributions of Indigenous Peoples, particularly the Onondaga Nation and Haudenosaunee Confederacy, featuring Indigenous artisans, Haudenosaunee social dancing, artist demonstrations, music, food, community organizations and concluding with films. Free and open to the public. Coordinated by Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation and Women of Syracuse and Italian Heritage (WISH) in collaboration with the Onondaga Nation and community organizations.
Indigenous Peoples Day Rochester NY
Monday, October 14, 2024
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
1000 E River Rd. Rochester, NY 14623
Join the Indigenous Peoples Day Committee in Rochester NY on October 14, 2024 to honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples and Cultures from all over Turtle Island!
On June 14, 2022, City Council passed and the Mayor signed a Certified Ordinance stating that the City of Rochester shall recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the Second Monday in October, and that Indigenous Peoples’ Day shall replace Columbus Day on all documents and calendars. In celebration of our third year, the Indigenous Peoples’ Day committee has planned a variety of activities that encourage understanding and appreciation of Indigenous Peoples and their traditions and culture all across Turtle Island, thus promoting the well-being and growth of the Rochester Indigenous communities. Indigenous Peoples’ Day gives our greater community an opportunity to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples on this land, and to celebrate the thriving culture and value that Onöndowága:’ (Seneca) and other Indigenous nations add to the City of Rochester.
Event Details: October 14, 2024
Sunrise Ceremony 7:00 (7:17) a.m.
● White Pine Tree of Peace – Northeast side of Cobbs Hill Reservoir near The Grove
Main Celebration Event 11a.m. Genesee Valley Park
● Roundhouse Shelter – 1000 E River Rd, Rochester, NY 14623
Sunset Ceremony 6:15 (6:38) p.m.
● Genesee Valley Park – Riverbend/canal side
Outside the Box – 2024 Feature Exhibition
Ongoing: April 4 – November 30
Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center / Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, 82 W Hetzel St, Salamanca, NY 14779
Outside the Box: What happens when Haudenosaunee individuals pursue creative paths that are unheralded and wholly unexpected? When work doesn’t fit the mold? When pioneering forays are made into areas of expression where Indigenous representation is rare to non-existent?
Outside the Box celebrates the work of such innovators: the Iroquois Indian Marching Band; photojournalist Ian R. Maracle; installation artist Hannah Claus; claymation animator and comic drama filmmaker Paulette Moore; luthier (guitar maker) Glenn Hill, Jr.; neo-burlesque dancer Lauren Ashley Jiles; metalsmith Margaret Jacobs; video game designer Waylon Wilson, and others.
Monthly Events:
NOON Steering Committee Open Meeting. Please contact Lee Cridland, Peace Council Staff, for more info.
Indigenous News:
Vice President Kamala Harris’ mixed record on Indigenous issues
Canada to fund health study on how oil sands impact Indigenous communities
Secretary Haaland Announces Major Milestones for Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative
‘Not a badge of honor’: how book bans affect Indigenous literature
Places to Visit:
Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center, 6680 Onondaga Lake Pkwy. Liverpool, NY 13088. Skä•noñh is a Haudenosaunee Cultural Center focused on telling the story of the native peoples of central New York. Now open from 10am-4pm Wednesday-Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturday.
Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community, 4934 State Highway 5. Fonda, NY.
Ganondagan State Historic Site, 7000 County Road 41 (Boughton Hill Road) Victor, NY 14564. Bark Longhouse open May-October.
Seneca Iroquois National Museum, 82 W Hetzel St. Salamanca, NY 14779.
Iroquois Museum, 324 Caverns Road. Howes Cave, NY 12092.
About Us:
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) is a grassroots organization of Central New Yorkers which recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the traditional government of the Onondaga Nation. A program of the Syracuse Peace Council, NOON supports the right of Indigenous Peoples to reclaim land, and advocates for fair settlement of any claims which are filed. We are always looking for more folks to join our work in Central New York. Learn more here.
NOON works on the territory of the Onondaga Nation,
Firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
We express our deep gratitude to the Onondaga Nation for caring for these lands, waters, and all our fellow beings since time immemorial.
We offer heartfelt apologies for the terrible violence that colonizers have carried out against the Onondaga People and Nation, including theft of land and attempted genocide. We are thankful for their perseverance and survival. We commit ourselves to working in solidarity with the Onondaga Nation to protect their sovereignty and create a shared, sustainable future for all life.
