Seneca People



Ancestral Homeland: Seneca Lake to Allegheny River now in western New York

One of the Iroquois Nations- largest tribe

Prominent Leaders: Cornplanter (Ayentwahga, John O'Bail), Red Jacket (Sagoyewatha), Ely Parker

Tribal Headquarters
Seneca Nation of New York P.O. Box 231 Salamanca, NY 14779 Phone: 1-716-945-1790

Fax: 1-716-945-1565

The Seneca Nation Official Website

Brief Timeline

 * 1775-1783: Fought with British during the Revolutionary War
 * 1831: Ceded land removed to Indian Territory
 * 1838: Treaty of Buffalo Creek the tribe lose their New York Reservations
 * 1842: Regained the Cattaraugus and Allegheny Reservations
 * 1848: Become Seneca Nation of Indians
 * 1857: Repurchase the Tonawanda and Buffalo Creek lands using money they had for relocation to Kansas.
 * 1869, Quakers established the Seneca Indian School at Wyandotte, Oklahoma. (school closed in 1980)

Additional References to the History of the Tribe
Frank J. Lankes. An outline of West Seneca History. West Seneca, NY. West Seneca Historical Society. 1962. FHL Book 970.1 Al #49

Frank J. Lankes. Reservation Supplement: A Collection of Memorabilia related to Buffalo Creek Reservation. West Seneca, NY 1966. (Cayuga, Onondaga Indians)FHL Book 970.1 Al #50

Arthur Parker. Red Jacket: Last of the Seneca. Washington, Library of Congress FHL Film 1009057 item 2

Reservations
Three State Reservations:


 * Allegany Reservation
 * Buffalo Creek Reservation
 * Cattaraugus Reservation
 * Oil Springs Reservation

Tonawanda Band of Seneca Reservation near Akron, New York

Six Nations Reserve, Ontario

Seneca-Cayuga Tribe hold land in Ottawa County, Oklahoma

Treaties

 * 1784 October 22, at Fort Harmar
 * 1789 January 9, at Fort Harmar
 * 1792 April 23, with the Five Nations of Indians
 * 1794 November 11, at Konondaigua
 * 1797 September 15, on Genesee River
 * 1802 June 30, at Buffalo Creek
 * 1802 June 30,
 * 1814 July 22, at Greenville
 * 1815 September 8, at Spring Wells
 * 1817 September 29, on the Miami
 * 1818 September 17, at St. Mary's
 * 1823 September 3, unratified
 * 1831 February 28, at Washington
 * 1831 July 20, at Lewistown
 * 1832December 29, at Seneca Agency
 * 1835 August 24, at Camp Holmes
 * 1838 January 15, at Buffalo Creek, with New York Indians
 * 1842 May 20, at Buffalo Creek
 * 1857November 5,
 * 1865 September 13, at Fort Smith - unratified
 * 1867 February 23, at Washington

Vital Records

 * Quapaw Agency, M595, births and deaths 1924-1932, FHL | Film: 581408

Important Websites
Seneca History -- from Seneca Nation website -- http://www.senecaindian.com/seneca_tribal.htm

Seneca History -- Wikipedia article -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_nation

Seneca Tribal History -- from Handbook of American Indians... by Frederick Webb Hodge -- http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/seneca/senecahist.htm

Seneca History -- from Catholic Encyclopedia -- http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13714a.htm