05-04-2025
Yager Museum to screen documentary about Kinzua Dam, Native Americans
The Yager Museum of Arts and Culture at Hartwick College will host a screening of the documentary "Lake of Betrayal," a film about the construction of the Kinzua dam, which flooded the ancestral lands of the Seneca Indigenous people in western New York.
The film will be screened 5-7 p.m. Friday, April 11, in the museum, according to a news release. After the screening, the film's creative team, which includes Paul Lamont, Scott Sackett and Caleb Abrams, will discuss the film and answer questions. This event is free and open to the public.
Released in 2017, "Lake of Betrayal" charts how the Kinzua dam, built in 1965 to mitigate flooding in Pittsburgh, created a 27-mile reservoir over the top of Seneca ancestral lands, which had been protected by U.S. treaty since 1794. The Seneca Nation's activism and resistance failed to prevent the dam's construction, but spurred a more significant movement to preserve and expand its sovereignty, which continues to this day.
"We are thrilled to be able to show such a powerful and insightful film," museum curator Quentin Lewis said in a statement. "The Yager Museum has always been a place for contemplating Indigenous history and culture, and the experiences of the Seneca are unfortunately all-too-familiar in the broader history of Indigenous people in America. Alongside our current exhibit on Catskill reservoirs, we are excited to highlight this parallel story of displacement, memory and resilience and to hear from the filmmakers who created it."
This event was made possible through the generous support of the Richard and Gerri L. Haan Fund for Native American Studies at Hartwick College, the release stated.
The Yager Museum's galleries will be open during the events. The museum's regular hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. when the college is in session. The museum is closed on Sundays, Mondays, college holidays, and when the college is not in session. Admission is free.
More information is available on this and additional events through the museum's Facebook page and webpage or by calling 607-431-4480 or emailing Lewis at lewisq@
