Seneca Nation of Indians: Rich Traditions Shape the Future (Overview)

[@militarymom8967]

I have been searching for everything and anything that I can learn about the Iroquois Nation, Seneca Nation specifically. Father is 98% native American, my mother is white. My mother moved me to the south as a child to keep me away from Western New York. Even though I was born in Wyoming county. Now I'm an adult who is disabled so I cannot travel. Anything that I can learn I have to do online. Thank you so very much this.. these videos mean more to me than you imagine.

[@jenniferschaller3325]

I’m also great great granddaughter of French Canadian and Seneca. I was born in Wyoming county and I’m searching for a connection with this part of my history

[@militarymom8967]

@@jenniferschaller3325 I was also borne in Wyoming county. I was born in Warsaw hospital.

[@shawnprice3894]

BLESSINGS TO THE SOVREIGN SENECA NATION !! FROM THE SOVREIGN NAVAJO NATION !! KEEP STRENGTHENING OUR NATIVE SOVREIGNITY!! NATIVE INDEPENDENCE !!

[@TheLiverThief]

We must free ourselves from those who have schackled us, binded us, and wiped away our culture. Native American heritage month, unlike every other, isn’t even celebrated in schools. When people hear Native American, they think of people who were born in America. Whilst racism and prejudice don’t target us, neither do good things. In this land we are simply people.

[@jugg1492]

I AM HIGHLY IMPRESSED.

[@michaelschonhart]

God Bless The Indian Nation ❤👍👍💯

[@mboaz4730]

Wish the rest of America still took care of their people like these people. We used to have case workers that helped people to find jobs, now you have to do it all yourself. And if you knew how to do it yourself, you would have done it already. It is a catch 22 that they caused by cutting social programs to the bone, but they don't care that they are hurting people. In Wales they tackled the dying language problem by teaching it to everyone that was educated in one of their schools. So Welsh Gaelic is spoken by lots of people all over the world. Some tribes are offering their language training on Babel or/and Duolingo. Navajo/ Dine is in Beta on Duolingo right now. They also have You Tube channels that teach it. It is a beautiful language, but very difficult, and SO MANY accent marks !!

[@rachellewalters8111]

God bless you my Grandmother's people! ❤

[@Tizgachcano]

Je voudrai dire à mon peuple que nous somme nombreux en France et en Belgique.Mes ancêtres sont arrivés en Europe en 1892 comme esclave avec un très grand cirque américain pendant sa tournée de spectacle en France en 1902.Nous avons forcément une éducation occidentale (anglaise,française,allemande)mais nos ancêtres nous ont laissé des traditions de notre nation.Nous élevons des chevaux apaloosa et paint horse.Lorsque nos ancêtres sont arrivés ici en europe et ont eu des enfants métisses les autorités leur ont demandés leur nom ils ont dit nous sommes Iroquois nom seneca nous portons haut et fort le nom de notre tribu et nous en sommes fier. Merci à vous pour ce reportage

[@chrislopez2779]

Love this video. Please continue

[@2380Shaw]

My great grandmothers grandmother was French Canadian possibly Native. I could prove the French Canadian part but not Native. I've read a lot of French Canadians do have Native ancestry because the French men didn't have a lot of women so intermarried the Native women.

[@Dyshof]

First sentence: tenth's of thousands of years.... unfortunately not a good start....but cannot diminuish my love and respect for the north american native nations

[@TacoCrisma]

Are there places for white people to go and learn the true history of the place I was born? I have an immense respect for the Haudenosaunee and I want to know more about the history of the land I was born in - not just what happened in the 1700s. I don’t want to be disrespectful by going places I shouldn’t or asking questions I shouldn’t. I know of Ganodagan in Victor NY, but was wondering if there are other places to learn as well? To me this is personally more important than any other political event right now.

[@shelleythompson-brock6412]

I would also like to know more about my Seneca ancestry. My great great great grandmother's name was Turtle. My grandmother had a photo of her and my (white) ggg grandfather, which was stolen by her siblings, rather than being passed down to her children. I just wish to know more about my grandmother and relatives. Will it really be so difficult to learn these things from the Seneca Nation? Is there a register that dates back that far? From the comments that I'm seeing, it seems as though others are treated as though they're trying to steal something rather than gaining a better understanding of what is already theirs...their family heritage and relations. If anyone could offer suggestions on how I may learn about my ggg grandmother, I would be so very appreciative. I'm not looking for anything from the tribe outside of gaining a better understanding and knowing where I come from.

[@entp4w3s]

do you by any chance have the photo of your ggg grandmother? we had one passed down but unfortunately it was lost before i had the opportunity to see it. all i know is that i’m from seneca tribe and my ggg grandmother had many many children, we might be distantly related :)

[@shelleythompson-brock6412]

@@entp4w3s Could be. It was in my grandmother's possession and should've been passed down to us. However, her siblings stole all that should have been our 'inheritance'. Just personal items of sentimental significance. Someone has it. Have you any relatives in Kansas?

[@entp4w3s]

@@shelleythompson-brock6412 not that I'm aware of. seneca originate from new york area but all my relatives reside in washington.

[@shelleythompson-brock6412]

@@entp4w3s Yeah. What I can tell you on my side is that my ggg's daughter, my ggm's, last name was Mecham. So, down the female line..some went to KS. I'm from TX. Our ancestral lineage is Scot, Irish, Dutch, Seneca.

[@AcousticJay1985]

I'm very much in love with this video but it also gives me a lot of questions, if they're so concerned about preserving the culture then why when I reached out for help about finding information on the Seneca natives in my bloodline did I received no contact back from Seneca Nation? I called expressing that I had Direct lineage in my family of Seneca Natives and I was looking for more information on how to prove my lineage and I never received a call back. this upset me a little bit because I kind of feel like a Lost Child I've always loved my native Heritage and felt more like a native then I don't know anything else I just want to know my culture know my heritage

[@mirozen_]

@@jasminekayukwalanasummers9551 Seriously? So if you haven't been raised in the culture you're not welcome? I was adopted at birth and knew nothing of my biological family until recent DNA testing has put me in touch with both maternal and paternal relatives. I had my first contact with paternal relatives today and found out I have Seneca ancestors. I didn't realize that since I was not raised up in the culture I'd be considered "just another misguided wannabe".

[@mirozen_]

@@jasminekayukwalanasummers9551 I guess from a certain perspective it makes sense. Sadly I think it will lead to the eventual death of the culture. Eventually people will marry outside more and more, until no one will be left who "qualifies". I'm a mix of just about everything, having ancestors from everywhere but India and Australia, so I don't have the "look" that they'd accept. I grew up about five blocks away from the Puyallup reservation and about 30% of the kids in the neighborhood I grew up in were Native American. None of them were being raised in the culture. And the friends I had who were raised on the reservation have all married outside the tribe. I wonder what will happen when no one has a high enough percentage of ancestry to qualify? It's kind of sad.

[@jasminekayukwalanasummers9551]

​@@mirozen_ I mean you do have a point but you have to remember that in it's true essence that the Haudenosaunee are a family way more so than a culture. You're not going to allow just anyone come into your family right just because they think they have a right to claim to be part of your family? Or just walk into your house without knowing them? It's the same thing. If you go into any tribe and start claiming things they're going to ask you WHO are you related to not WHAT you're related to. Because otherwise you're just a stranger.

[@mirozen_]

@@jasminekayukwalanasummers9551 And I see your point, and I have to agree. It's hard to preserve a culture any other way. I personally find myself in just about the same position as you've described in your comment! Having been adopted I'm only now meeting biological relatives. I was not raised in their families - they are only blood relations. That said, I now have a sister and brother who are letting me know things about their family and have accepted me as a part of it. I've been meeting nieces and nephews and hearing about how much I resemble various people in the family. And I've an Uncle who has invited me to come visit and learn more about my biological father and meet Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins who I didn't even know existed until, literally, yesterday. I'm not trying to claim membership in their families, but they are relatives regardless. Think about it from a different perspective. If you have a great great grandchild that you have never met, do you consider that child to be no relative of yours? Regardless of the fact that they also have a lot of others they call "grandparents" they are still yours. I was happy to find out that I've Seneca ancestry. I would like to know more about the distant family that I have through that family line, and I'm happy that their are people still carrying on their traditions. It's not my only ancestry, but it's a part of it that I'm happy to have, and it would be nice to know more about. (And when it comes to my Native American ancestry I'd hoped it would be easier to learn about than the Aztec ancestry that I have on the other side of my family tree! :-) )

[@mirozen_]

@@jasminekayukwalanasummers9551 I don't need the tribe to claim me - that's not a goal. At this point I haven't even learned who in my Ancestry was Seneca. I just had a conversation with my Uncle for the first time and when he was telling me about family history he said "You're also part Seneca". He proceeded to tell me that he'd been invited to come and meet with some of the tribe but he hasn't yet done so. I'd be surprised if he's more than 1/4, which means I've even less. I'm sure my biological mothers family only has Aztec ancestry, which has nothing to do with the Seneca. I was just curious to learn about who my ancestors were and think it sad that people are unwelcome when their ancestors were not born recently enough. It's going to really suck when the last person having 1/4 Seneca ancestry marries someone outside the tribe! Hey @Jas Jas - it looks something is erasing your posts! The comments I initially was responding to are missing. (Or maybe it's this dang browser...I'm trying out Firefox instead of Chrome, and I'm not sure I trust it. Some weird behavior!) Thanks for the clarifications and comments btw!

[@jtoad99]

Does anyone know who is the earth holder/pipe carrier of the tribe and how to contact him?

[@Cattrez]

We’re is that everyone looked white

[@Cattrez]

That ain’t cattaraugus Rez

[@crystalsmith2357]

I believe that I am Seneca,my grandmother was full blooded native American,she didn't talk about it,she said that her parents were against her marriage, and my mother's side of the family,I was told that my grandfather was a Seneca Chief,not sure about that though

[@AcousticJay1985]

Crystal Smith if your grandfather was a Chief then you need to dig deeper, usually that kind of lineage qualifies your for more that and it's part of who you are

[@crystalsmith2357]

Jay Marco I plan on digging more into my lineage

[@jasminekayukwalanasummers9551]

If you don't know if you're Seneca or not you're most likely not Seneca.

[@AlbandAquino]

Open voiced history is History. Trauma, and traditions are just coming along. They are part of your history. And to this point, you've being doing a great job. From the french people, please, kindly invade us. We're ready. Nya:wëh sgë:nö' !

[@maggillaguerrilla830]

Hard to believe that the Seneca Nation wants to preserve the culture when they so blatantly turn away their own people like myself. Now I’m a Lost Child, I do not fit in with the white world and the native world rejects me. I was raised by my Grandmother whose maiden name is Armstrong, she always told me that I am Seneca no matter what, but it’s always hard to believe when I am being rejected by the Seneca Nation. I’d like to thank the Seneca Nation for making it so hard to know who my family truly are.

[@blainekristin6290]

My paternal side of the family was Seneca, but because Seneca go by maternal lineage, it makes it very difficult to prove your heritage. I was born in South Western NY, but now live in Virginia, so that makes it even harder.

[@Malone410]

🤣🤣🤣🤣yall $5 indians are hilarious! Al bundy your aren’t aboriginal

[@ashtonstevens7265]

rrracist

[@blainekristin6290]

I understand that some people are born with challenges, so I will not compare you to Forrest Gump. How do I explain this in a way a childlike mind would understand? Ok, there is this process that living beings go through called evolution. It’s built into our DNA. The Iroquois people (with the exception of the tribe in Oklahoma) live in a region where it’s very, very cold for the better part of each year. For this reason, they lived in long houses, and stayed sheltered inside with extended family for most of the winter. Therefore, our skin is lighter in color than the “Indians” you see on cartoons. Not every native person will have the same color or type of skin as the Sioux or Cherokee, who’s skin has been conditioned over centuries to endure the effects of hot and/or arid temperatures. So, why don’t you take your $5 comment, and put it in a jar. Every time you feel like making another stupid comment in the future, put that in the jar too. Eventually, you’ll have some money for tuition. Then, perhaps you will not make such ignorant comments in the future.

[@Malone410]

@@blainekristin6290 and you’re probably a $5 indian🤣 that’s why you’re commenting under a 2 year old comment

[@Malone410]

@@blainekristin6290 my queen is puerto rican and Iroquois indian. And you know what her Iroquois look like mother and grandmother and great greats all look like…🧐 Darker than me 🤣

[@Malone410]

@@blainekristin6290 ahhh did you report my long response to you🤣 All that aboriginal talk and facts that those colonizers said set you off? 🤣Typical. Like i said dont approach me if you dont know facts