Seneca
The Seneca are one of the prominent nations within the Iroquois Confederacy, primarily located in western New York since at least the sixteenth century. Traditionally, they lived in bark longhouses, with a matrilineal society where women played a crucial role in land ownership, governance, and agricultural practices, notably the cultivation of maize, beans, and squash. Men in Seneca society typically engaged in hunting, warfare, trade, and diplomacy. Historical events, including their involvement in the American Revolution and subsequent treaties, drastically reduced their land holdings, leading to significant cultural and social changes. In the late 18th century, the teachings of Handsome Lake initiated a revitalization movement, blending traditional beliefs with new social structures. Despite facing challenges such as fraudulent land deals and forced dispossession, the Seneca established the Seneca Nation of Indians in 1848, adopting a constitution that facilitated a more democratic governance. Modern developments, including the construction of railroads and the Kinzua Dam, have profoundly impacted their communities, yet the Seneca continue to navigate issues of cultural preservation, economic development, and governance, with initiatives like casino enterprises sparking both opportunities and debates within their reservations.
On this Page
Seneca
- CULTURE AREA: Northeast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Iroquoian
- PRIMARY LOCATION: New York State
- POPULATION SIZE: 6,652 (2015: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates American Indian and Alaska Native Detailed Tables)
The Senecas, members of the Iroquois Confederacy, have resided in western New York from at least the sixteenth century. Traditionally, they lived in bark longhouses and traced descent through women. The women owned land, appointed chiefs, and raised maize, beans, and squash. Men were hunters, warriors, traders, and diplomats.
The fur trade and dependence on European goods resulted in competition with the French and other Indigenous Americans. In 1687, the French destroyed Seneca fields and villages in retaliation for attacks. Afterward, one group of Senecas remained along the Genesee River, and another moved west to the Allegany. The Senecas joined the British in the American Revolution and, at war’s end, found themselves abandoned. Some fled to Canada with other pro-British Iroquois, but most remained in New York. The Fort Stanwix Treaty (1784) imposed conquest conditions, and the Pickering Treaty (1794) defined Seneca boundaries. By 1797, the Senecas retained only 310 square miles in New York.
Demoralized by land speculators and whiskey, the Seneca was revitalized in 1799 by the teachings of Handsome Lake, to whom representatives of the Creator had revealed a new way of life combining retention of traditional rituals with a new social structure based on nuclear households and male agriculture. Alcohol and witchcraft were forbidden. Reports of the movement’s success came from Quakers residing with the Senecas.
Fraudulent land deals culminated in the 1838 sale of all remaining Seneca land in New York. With Quaker aid, a compromise treaty was adopted in 1842 by which the Senecas surrendered the reservations at Buffalo Creek and Tonawanda but retained those at Allegany and Cattaraugus. Disputes over annuity distributions led to the abolition of the government by chiefs and withdrawal from the confederacy by Allegany and Cattaraugus. They jointly created the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI) in 1848, adopting a written constitution which established an elected council and executive. The Tonawanda Senecas were able to repurchase part of their reservation in 1857, retaining government by hereditary chiefs and becoming the Tonawanda Band of Senecas.
Railroads crossed Seneca territory, and White villages developed within reservation boundaries, particularly at Allegany. The illegal villages were given congressional sanction in 1875 and reauthorized in 1892 for another century. Extremely low rents caused long-standing resentment among Senecas until the leases were renegotiated in 1992 at fair rates. The construction of Kinzua Dam in the 1960s flooded an additional 10,000 acres at Allegany, leaving only 10,000 for the Senecas and forcing the removal of nearly 800 people to two new communities of tract houses. Congressional compensation was used to provide college scholarships and to build government offices, medical clinics, and libraries on each SNI reservation, as well as a museum, bowling alley, and sports complex.
By the end of the century, many Senecas were Christian, but the Longhouse religion of Handsome Lake remained a strong force. Successful SNI enterprises such as gas stations, mini-marts, and gaming provided employment for many, but conditions at Tonawanda were less favorable. Debates over the advisability of casino gambling polarized the reservations as leaders attempted to address unemployment and financial security issues. In 2024, J.C. Seneca was sworn in as the new President of the Seneca Nation and promised to fulfill his campaign promise of uniting the Seneca people. One of Seneca's first priorities was the continued negotiations regarding casino gambling with the state of New York. Seneca was intent on signing a deal that promised no revenue sharing on casino profits. Seneca also promised to focus on land and housing shortages.
Bibliography
"About Us." Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, www.senecamuseum.org/about. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
"Culture." Seneca Nation of Indians, sni.org/culture. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
Whalen, Ryan. “Incoming Seneca Nation President Discusses Casino Compact Negotiations.” Spectrum News, 11 Nov. 2024, spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/politics/2024/11/11/incoming-seneca-president-discusses-casino-compact-negotiations. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
White, James, editor. "Seneca Indians." Handbook of Indians of Canada, Published as an Appendix to the Tenth Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, Ottawa, 1913. Quebec History Encyclopedia, Marianopolis College, faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/SenecaIndians-CanadianHistory.htm. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.