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Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
NY governor to visit Seneca Nation to apologize for state's role in boarding school
NEW YORK (AP) — New York's governor plans to visit the Seneca Nation on Tuesday to formally apologize for the state's role in running an upstate boarding school that separated Native American students from their families with the goal of assimilating them into American society. Gov. Kathy Hochul is also expected to meet with survivors of the Thomas Indian School, which operated from 1875 to 1957 in western New York near Lake Erie. Seneca President J. Conrad Seneca, whose father attended the school, said the apology is overdue. He said his family and countless others have quietly borne their pain for generations. 'The atrocities that our children suffered at the Thomas Indian School have remained hidden in the shadows for far too long,' he said in a statement announcing the visit. 'At long last, our people will hear, directly from the Governor, the words we have waited lifetimes for the State of New York to say — 'We're sorry'.' But some tribe members are skeptical of the goodwill gesture. Lori Quigley, a Niagara University professor whose mother attended the Thomas school for 10 years as a young child, said she hopes the governor offers more than words. 'An apology is one thing,' she said by phone ahead of the visit. 'What actions is she going to take in acknowledging this? These traumas are still impacting our communities.' Originally established by Presbyterian missionaries in 1855 before the state took ownership in 1875, the Thomas Indian School was among more than 400 government-supported schools established throughout the country with the goal of assimilating Native American youths. But the schools, which operated for roughly 150 years, had a devastating impact on Native American communities. Staff at the schools worked to strip Native children of their traditions and heritage. Teachers and administrators cut their hair, forbade them from speaking their own languages and forced them into manual labor. Students, forcibly separated from their families, endured torture, sexual abuse and hatred from school officials. More than 900 children died at the schools, the last of which closed or transitioned into different institutions decades ago. Former President Joe Biden in October 2024 visited the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona to formally apologize to Native Americans for the 'sin' of the nation's government-run boarding school system. But at least $1.6 million in federal funds destined for research projects on the boarding schools have been among the casualties of President Donald Trump's efforts to rein in the federal bureaucracy. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Tribe officials say Hochul's visit appears to be the first by a sitting New York governor to the federally recognized tribe's lands. 'No words or actions will ever be able to undo the pain and suffering of the Seneca people and other Indigenous peoples across the State, but by visiting the Seneca Nation and the site of the Thomas Indian School we will mark a new day in our relations,' Hochul said in a statement Friday. Matthew Hill, a tribe member whose father was among the last class of students before the school was shuttered, dismissed the visit as 'empty words.' After all, he said, the Hochul administration and the tribe have been negotiating for years over how much if any of the tribe's casino revenues the state should be allowed to collect. 'They're saying sorry for the school, but they'll continue extorting money from us in the form of gaming revenues,' said Hill. 'It's a joke.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seneca Nation, Olean to address wastewater overflows into Allegheny River with new task force
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Seneca Nation and the City of Olean will address ongoing wastewater overflows into the Allegheny River, also known by its Seneca name, Ohi:yo', with the creation of a task force, officials announced Wednesday. The discharge of sewage from the city's wastewater treatment plant has been an issue for years, with approximately 186,000 gallons entering the river last April, the Seneca Nation reported. Officials said last April and June, over 460,000 gallons of untreated sewage was discharged into the river, which affects the Seneca Nation downstream. Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca and Olean Mayor William Aiello, along with eight others, will make up the task force. 'Our collaboration affords us the opportunity to pool our expertise and mutual resources to address the challenges that Olean faces in our wastewater management practices,' Aiello said in a news release. 'The Allegheny River is an asset for both the City of Olean and the Seneca Nation; safeguarding the environmental integrity of the river and public health is important for both of our communities.' Seneca said the Seneca Nation has been vocal by calling for action from Olean. In 2022, the territory had sent a intent to initiate civil action against the city regarding the Clean Water Act. 'If our Nation can assist Olean — through advocacy, through the expertise of our grant writers, and through other avenues — to finally put an end to this harmful situation, we are committed to doing that,' Seneca said in a news release. 'The destruction of the river needs to stop now.' Since 2007, there have been a total of 46 recorded discharges from the city, officials said. The state's Department of Environmental Conservation had ordered the city to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant. The Seneca Nation previously said that the plant was not complying with the order and that it was extended various times to give the city extra time. Olean currently has until 2042 to become fully compliant with the order, according to officials. The city is said to have maintained payments of $250,000 to be in compliance with the order. The Allegheny River is a source of drinking water for millions of people in the Southern Tier of New York down to Pittsburgh, the Seneca Nation said last April. Katie Skoog joined the News 4 team in April 2024. She is a graduate from the University at Buffalo. You can view more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
