Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
The Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma is a federally recognized tribe of Seneca
and Cayuga people, based in Oklahoma
, United States
. They have a tribal jurisdictional area in the northeast corner of Oklahoma are headquartered in Grove, Oklahoma
.
, 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 the Great Swamp".
They belong to the Iroquoian language family, and were the largest division of the Five Nations (or League of the Iroquois) who traditionally lived in New York. The Five Nations were the Mohawk
, Oneida
, Onondaga
, Seneca
and Cayuga
. When the Tuscarora joined the Iroquois Confederation in 1722, the confederacy was known as the Six Nations.
In the mid to late 18th century, a confederation of Iroquois Indian bands was drawn 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 the US granted them a reservation along the Sandusky River
. They were joined there by the Shawnee
of Ohio and members of the Iroquois bands.
All the main Iroquois nations except the Oneida had allied with the British in the Revolution. They were considered defeated in the war. The British gave up both their and Indian claims to lands in treaty negotiations, and the Iroquois were forced to cede their lands to 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 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 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 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 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 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 Oklahoma – adjusted the boundaries and created the "United Nation of Seneca and Shawnee."
During the American Civil War
, the Indian Territory became a battleground. Many Seneca and Cayuga 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 then became 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 a state, 372 members of the joint tribe received individual land allotments in exchange for becoming US citizens and withdrawing from the traditional tribe.
Today, the tribal roll numbers approximately 5,000 members, many of whom live throughout Ottawa
and Delaware counties
. The tribal headquarters is located in Miami, Oklahoma
.
The current Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma is a Federal Corporation chartered under the Act of June 26, 1936.
in its suit for land claim in New York. The Seneca–Cayuga Tribe asserted that its members were equally descendants of the Cayuga Nation.
But the decision of 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 by 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 the loss of land that the Cayuga suffered in New York as a result of the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua.
Similarly, the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma 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 the Seneca Nation and the state of New York following the American Revolution. The Seneca Nation 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. The US Department of the Interior rejected 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 the state.
The Reservation Business Committee consists of seven members: Chief, Second Chief, Secretary-Treasurer and four RBC Members. The current chief is LeRoy Howard. 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, the Second Chief, Secretary-Treasurer, Second and Fourth RBC Members and Second and Fourth Grievance Committee Members are elected. All elected terms are for two years.
and cigarette manufacturing plant near Grove, Oklahoma
, which makes their Skydancer cigarettes. By investing a large portion of their gaming and industry profits back into their community, within the last few decades the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe has gone from being a destitute people to enjoying a fair amount of social prosperity.
The tribe has two smoke shops, and in 2009, they made $98,000 in charitable donations.
The Senenca-Cayuga Language and Cultural Society hosts cultural events, such as Stomp dance
s. The tribe has a community building for public events in Grove.
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
and Cayuga people, based in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They have a tribal jurisdictional area in the northeast corner of Oklahoma are headquartered in Grove, Oklahoma
Grove, Oklahoma
Grove is a city in Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,131 at the 2000 census, but the 2009 estimate was 6,377.-Geography:Grove is located at ....
.
History
The SenecaSeneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
, or Onödowága (meaning "People of the Great Hill"), traditionally lived in what is now New York between the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
and Canandaigua Lake
Canandaigua Lake
Canandaigua Lake is the fourth largest of the Finger Lakes, in the U.S. state of New York. The city of Canandaigua is located at the northern shore of the lake and the village of Naples is just a few miles south of the southern end...
. The name Cayuga
Cayuga nation
The Cayuga people was one of the five original constituents of the Haudenosaunee , a confederacy of American Indians in New York. The Cayuga homeland lay in the Finger Lakes region along Cayuga Lake, between their league neighbors, the Onondaga to the east and the Seneca to the west...
(Gayogohó:no’) means "People of the Great Swamp".
They belong to the Iroquoian language family, and were the largest division of the Five Nations (or League of the Iroquois) who traditionally lived in New York. The Five Nations were the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
, Oneida
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
, Onondaga
Onondaga (tribe)
The Onondaga are one of the original five constituent nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Their traditional homeland is in and around Onondaga County, New York...
, Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
and Cayuga
Cayuga nation
The Cayuga people was one of the five original constituents of the Haudenosaunee , a confederacy of American Indians in New York. The Cayuga homeland lay in the Finger Lakes region along Cayuga Lake, between their league neighbors, the Onondaga to the east and the Seneca to the west...
. When the Tuscarora joined the Iroquois Confederation in 1722, the confederacy was known as the Six Nations.
In the mid to late 18th century, a confederation of Iroquois Indian bands was drawn west from throughout the Northeast. Its members moved west to escape encroachment by the colonists. It included the Mingo
Mingo
The Mingo are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans made up of peoples who migrated west to the Ohio Country in the mid-eighteenth century. Anglo-Americans called these migrants mingos, a corruption of mingwe, an Eastern Algonquian name for Iroquoian-language groups in general. Mingos have also...
(from the upper Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
), Susquehannock
Susquehannock
The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who lived in areas adjacent to the Susquehanna River and its tributaries from the southern part of what is now New York, through Pennsylvania, to the mouth of the Susquehanna in Maryland at the north end of the Chesapeake Bay...
, Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora, Onondaga and the Seneca of Sandusky (who had lived in New York at the outset of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
). After the Revolutionary War, some of the Cayuga moved to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where the US granted them a reservation along the Sandusky River
Sandusky River
The Sandusky River is a tributary to Lake Erie in north-central Ohio in the United States. It is about long and flows into Lake Erie at Sandusky Bay.-Course:...
. They were joined there by the Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
of Ohio and members of the Iroquois bands.
All the main Iroquois nations except the Oneida had allied with the British in the Revolution. They were considered defeated in the war. The British gave up both their and Indian claims to lands in treaty negotiations, and the Iroquois were forced to cede their lands to the United States. Most relocated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
after the Treaty of Canandaigua
Treaty of Canandaigua
The Treaty of Canandaigua is a treaty signed after the American Revolutionary War between the Grand Council of the Six Nations and President George Washington representing the United States of America....
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 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 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 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
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
in Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
(present-day Oklahoma). They were a prosperous people who, preparing to leave Ohio, loaded their considerable baggage (clothing, household goods, tools, seed) onto a steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
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 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 Oklahoma – adjusted the boundaries and created the "United Nation of Seneca and Shawnee."
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Indian Territory became a battleground. Many Seneca and Cayuga fled to Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
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 then became the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma and Missouri.-History:The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma is one of three federally recognized Shawnee tribes. They are an Eastern Woodland tribe, who were once nomadic. They originally came from...
).
In 1881, a band of Cayuga from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
joined the Seneca Tribe in Indian Territory. In 1902, shortly before Oklahoma became a state, 372 members of the joint tribe received individual land allotments in exchange for becoming US citizens and withdrawing from the traditional tribe.
Today, the tribal roll numbers approximately 5,000 members, many of whom live throughout Ottawa
Ottawa County, Oklahoma
Ottawa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 33,194. Its county seat is Miami. It was named for the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma.Ottawa County was established in 1907.-Geography:...
and Delaware counties
Delaware County, Oklahoma
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 37,077 and the newest population estimate is 45,000. Its county seat is Jay. The county was named for the Delaware Indians resettled in what was then Indian Territory in the 1830s. .Delaware County...
. The tribal headquarters is located in Miami, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Miami is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2009, the population estimate was 12,910. It is the county seat of Ottawa County. The city is named after the Miami tribe...
.
The current Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma is a Federal Corporation chartered under the Act of June 26, 1936.
New York land claims
Despite having left New York more than two centuries ago, the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma closely followed emerging land claim cases in the state. It attempted to join the Cayuga NationCayuga nation
The Cayuga people was one of the five original constituents of the Haudenosaunee , a confederacy of American Indians in New York. The Cayuga homeland lay in the Finger Lakes region along Cayuga Lake, between their league neighbors, the Onondaga to the east and the Seneca to the west...
in its suit for land claim in New York. The Seneca–Cayuga Tribe asserted that its members were equally descendants of the Cayuga Nation.
But the decision of the U.S. Indian Claims Commission
Indian claims commission
The Indian Claims Commission was a judicial panel for relations between the United States Federal Government and Native American tribes. It was established in 1946 by the United States Congress to hear claims of Indian tribes against the United States...
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
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Their ancestors had already left the state by 1794, when the treaties were made following the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Therefore, the Claims Commission found that the Seneca–Cayuga should not have any claim based on the loss of land that the Cayuga suffered in New York as a result of the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua.
Similarly, the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma attempted to intervene in the land claim suit which the Seneca Nation of Indians brought against New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. This related to land around Cuba, New York
Cuba (town), New York
Cuba is a town in Allegany County, New York, USA. The Town lies on the western border of Allegany County, with the Village of Cuba within its borders. Cuba is approximately an hour and a half drive south of Rochester and Buffalo, New York...
. Again, the courts ruled that the Seneca–Cayuga had no standing in a case with roots in treaties between the Seneca Nation and the state of New York following the American Revolution. The Seneca Nation 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
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
for the opportunity to purchase land in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and have it taken into trust. The US Department of the Interior rejected the tribe's trust application.
Groups such as the Upstate Citizens for Equality
Upstate Citizens for Equality
The Upstate Citizens for Equality is a group based in Verona, New York that opposes the Indian Land Claim and what they see as flawed Federal Indian Policy. UCE currently has three chapters with a combined membership of around 10,000.-Legal actions:...
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 the state.
Government
The Seneca–Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma have an electorate system of government, consisting of two governing bodies: the Reservation Business Committee (RBC), which acts as the Tribe's council that oversee 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 LeRoy Howard. 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, the Second Chief, Secretary-Treasurer, Second and Fourth RBC Members and Second and Fourth Grievance Committee Members are elected. All elected terms are for two years.
Tribal membership
The Seneca–Cayuga criteria for tribal membership are:- All persons of Indian blood whose names appear on the official census roll of the Tribe as of January 1, 1937;
- All children born since the date of the said roll, both of whose parents are members of the Tribe;
- Any child born of a marriage between a member of the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe and a member of any other Indian tribe who chooses to affiliate with the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe;
- Any child born of a marriage between a member of the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe and any other persons if such child is admitted to membership by the Council of the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe.
Economic development
The Seneca–Cayuga have a Class II casinoCasino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
and cigarette manufacturing plant near Grove, Oklahoma
Grove, Oklahoma
Grove is a city in Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,131 at the 2000 census, but the 2009 estimate was 6,377.-Geography:Grove is located at ....
, which makes their Skydancer cigarettes. By investing a large portion of their gaming and industry profits back into their community, within the last few decades the Seneca–Cayuga Tribe has gone from being a destitute people to enjoying a fair amount of social prosperity.
The tribe has two smoke shops, and in 2009, they made $98,000 in charitable donations.
Programs
- Administration on Aging Program
- Adult Education Program
- Adult Vocational Training Program
- Child Care and Development Program
- CDGB Program
- Higher Education Program
- Housing Improvement Program and NAHASDA
- Indian Child Welfare Program
- Johnson O'Malley Program
- Social Services/Child Protection Program
- Substance Abuse Program
- Tax Commission
- Tribal Enrollment
The Senenca-Cayuga Language and Cultural Society hosts cultural events, such as Stomp dance
Stomp dance
The Stomp Dance is performed by various Eastern Woodland tribes and Native American communities, including the Muscogee, Yuchi, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Delaware, Miami, Caddo, Ottawa, Peoria, Shawnee, Seminole, Natchez, and Seneca-Cayuga tribes...
s. The tribe has a community building for public events in Grove.