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JUNE 2023 The Tonawanda Seneca Nation’s Fight to Protect the Big Woods
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…
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MAY 2023 “Doctrine of Discovery”
The “Doctrine of Discovery”, based on three papal bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455 and Inter Caetera in 1493), gave religious backing to the Portuguese and Spanish kingdoms to expand their territories in Africa and the Americas under the guise of spreading Christianity…
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MARCH 2023 REPATRIATION
Repatriation is the returning of cultural items — human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony — to lineal descendants. In the United States this refers most often to Native Americans and is covered by the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA). Native American cultural items and remains…
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JANUARY 2023 PLANS FOR ONONDAGA LAKE
Another year has gone by without Onondaga County fulfilling their commitment made over 11 years ago to return land on Onondaga Lake to the Onondaga Nation. In the meantime, the city of Syracuse has unveiled a $108M Lakefront Revitalization plan…
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DECEMBER 2022 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND OUR GOVERNMENTS
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), a federal law, was passed in 1978 to keep Indian children with Indian families in their own culture. At that time as many as 25-35% of Indian children were being removed from their families by public and private agencies and placed in non-Indian families.
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NOVEMBER 2022 THANKSGIVING CIRCLE
It’s November and NOON is once again looking forward to our Circle of Peace and Hope, held each year on Thanksgiving Day. This year it will be November 24th at 10 AM in the Willow Bay Picnic Area on the north side of Onondaga Lake here in Syracuse, NY…
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September 2022 Gayogo̱hó:nǫʼ Background
Gayogo̱hó:nǫʼ Background It is painful to watch homes, businesses, schools, and ceremonial venues destroyed; elders abused; children frightened and traumatized. Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) people in their traditional territory, North in Six Nations, and West in Seneca Territory are affected by this conflict and violence. The ongoing crisis situation affecting the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ in Seneca County, NY…
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JULY 2022 THE ONONDAGA NATION REGAINS 1023 ACRES
The Onondaga Nation will recover more than 1,000 acres of forest lands in the Tully Valley through an historic agreement with New York State and the federal government. This property, identified for restoration and preservation as part of the Onondaga Lake Natural Resource Damages and Restoration process, will now be returned to the care of…
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JUNE 2022 SPEECH GIVEN TO POPE FRANCIS
Three Indigenous delegations: Metis, Inuit, and First Nations, met with Pope Francis in private audiences at the Vatican during the week of March 28 to March 31, 2022 leading up to his apology. The First Nations delegation of 15 included chiefs, elders, spiritual advisors, and youth delegates who all spoke their truths of our Indigenous…
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MAY 2022 MOTHER EARTH
For many of us, the awaking of spring turns our thoughts towards Mother Earth and we long to reconnect with her. But for Indigenous Peoples, there is no need or longing to reconnect because their cultures are daily closely connected to the environment.
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation
Contact Us
Lee Cridland:
lee@peacecouncil.net
(315) 472-5478