Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Barry Snyder Sr. has won a fifth term as president of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Snyder defeated four other candidates seeking the two-year term. Rodney Pierce won the treasurer's post, defeating incumbent president Robert Odawi Porter for that position. Snyder said in a news release, "Nya-Weh. I want to thank the Seneca people for once again believing that leadership of our Nation is by the people. The past two years have broken the spirit and confidence that our people have in Seneca political leadership. We will not look back but we will move forward with an open and transparent government that will enable us to continue to protect and grow our economic sovereignty and our traditional values and culture." Snyder received 929 votes. 2,636 votes were cast at polling places on both the Cattaraugus and Allegany territories. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Seneca Nation plans to build a 400,000-square foot outlet mall in Chautauqua County, right off I-90 near Exit 58 in Hanover. The Senecas bought the land about 10 years ago. They are trying to secure funding for the project and hope to break ground within the next couple of years. They say about 1,000 jobs would be created. Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter and Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards both say the mall would have a dramatic and positive economic impact for the region. They, along with Council Chairman Richard Nephew, made the announcement today.

The Seneca Nation and the Cuomo administration could be going at it again. At the center of this potential dispute is a possible convenience store at gas station at the Niagara Falls casino. Governor Andrew Cuomo's director of state operations sent a letter to Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter saying a request for proposals for the new business is worrying local business people and community leaders. The Cuomo administration told the Senecas they were limited in the sorts of businesses they could locate at the casino, but Porter says the state's claim is absurd. Relations between the state and the Senecas have already been strained lately. The tribe has held back casino payments for several years because the state violated an agreement that gave the tribe exclusive gaming rights in the region. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

If the Seneca Nation and New York State can’t come to an agreement on how to proceed with roadwork on Interstate 86, the state will used the $47 million allocated for projects on the highway on other projects throughout the state. Back in May when Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter was informed that the state would not be following the 19-year-old agreement that allows the nation to monitor construction sites on their territory, he said the Nation would take on the project themselves if they had to. “We are here today to show that this is a priority project for the State of New York and for the Department of Transportation,” McDonald said in a news release following a news conference today in Evans. “DOT is prepared to immediately advance the I-86 project, which will rehabilitate and improve safety on this important highway while creating more than 450 jobs in the process. This project will benefit all residents – Seneca and non-Indian alike – as well as the motoring public. We need ...

Seneca Nation Council Chairman Richard Nephew has announced that his running for the nation’s presidency. Current President Robert Odawi Porter endorsed Nephew and announced his own candidacy for nation treasurer. Nephew is in his 14th year on Council, and has been elected to four consecutive four-year terms as Councilor from the Cattaraugus Territory. The Seneca presidency is a two-year term that rotates years between the Cattaraugus and Allegany territory. The Seneca election will be held on November 6. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Seneca Nation says if the New York State Department of Transportation isn’t going to follow the rules while repairing Interstate 86, they’ll take on the project themselves. Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter said during a news conference today that he was informed last week by New York State transportation officials that they would not be following the 19-year-old agreement that allows the nation to monitor construction sites and look out for their interests. The Nation’s Tribal Employment Rights Office rules have been followed on every other state project that crossed Seneca territory. Porter says if New York goes ahead with the project the state would be considered trespassers on Indian land. Porter has contacted the Federal Highway Administration to ask that the $28.5 million for the project be re-allocated from the state to the nation so a Seneca company can do the work. The Interstate 86 project calls for reconstruction of 11.5 miles from Exit 17 near Steamburg to Exit 20 in...

Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter on Tuesday called on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee to recognize Indian nations’ sovereign immunity from all forms of taxation and make tax reforms in Indian Country sensible and simple. He suggested to the senators that several dozen Tribal Empowerment Zones could attract a manufacturing company to locate to Indian Country instead of overseas while obtaining many of the same cost and regulatory benefits. This is the second time in six months Porter has testified before a Senate panel. In October he testified in front of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs about including Indian nations in e-commerce ventures. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Construction crews at the Seneca Allegany Casino’s new hotel tower hoisted up the final beam of the framework this morning. That milestone came several weeks ahead of schedule. During a ceremony at the casino, Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter said, “This ends an important phase in this project and is one more step in the economic sovereignty of the Seneca Nation of Indians. The $53 million expansion project will add about 200 rooms, doubling the hotel’s capacity. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Seneca Nation is OK with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s plan to increase gaming in the state – as long as it’s not in Western New York. Indian tribes currently have exclusive rights to operate casinos in New York, but in his State of the State address Wednesday Cuomo proposed an expansion of gaming, saying it could generate more than $1 billion dollars. Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter said if the exclusivity is violated, it would cause significant harm to existing businesses. In 2002, the tribe signed a 21-year compact with the Pataki administration, allowing it to retain exclusivity in Western New York. Porter said the Senecas are “very sensitive to broken promises.” Read more at: http://news.sni.org/Press.aspx The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Seneca Nation will be announcing more details today about the $53 million project that will nearly double the hotel room capacity at the Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel in Salamanca. Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter and officials from Seneca Gaming and Entertainment will be holding a news conference later this morning. The existing 212-room hotel tower opened in 2007. Plans to expand the hotel were put on hold after the economy took a nosedive a year later. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter today joined Indian leaders from across the at a speech by President Obama at the Third White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, D.C. The group of tribal presidents, chairmen, and chiefs met in D.C. this week to discuss an economic empowerment agenda for Native nations and promote stronger communications and consultations between the Obama Administration and tribes. Porter said Obama has made notable improvements in the relationship between the United States and Indian nations, but the next step is to improve how the administration will protect Native Americans from threats to their sovereignty and economic security. The original news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Less than 24 hours after a judge ruled that New York can start collecting taxes on Native American cigarette sales, another court granted a restraining order that will block the tax collection. The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court has granted the Seneca Nation a temporary restraining order until June 20. Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter issued a similar statement to the one he issued on Wednesday, and said there will be no change in the nation’s stand that it will never be a tax collector for New York State.

Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter says the Nation will file papers with the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in regard to today's court decision allowing the state to collect taxes on cigarettes sold by Indian retailers to non-Indians. In a news release, Porter says, no matter what the court decides, the Seneca Nation will never collect taxes for New York State. The Senecas say immunity from taxes by a centuries-old federal treaty is the law of the land.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo kicked off his “Take it to the People Tour” in Jamestown today by saying this is a time of crisis and a defining moment for the state. He added that the state can never solve its problems if leaders refuse to acknowledge them. The tour is an effort to get support for his budget cuts and a property tax cap. About 200 people, including State Senator Cathy Young and Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter, attended the event. http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/01132011statemessagejamestown

In the Seneca Nation, attorney Robert Odawi Porter handily defeated former president Maurice John Sr. Porter garnered 1,671 votes to John’s 500. The 47-year-old Porter, who is a graduate of Harvard Law School, says he hopes to use his legal skills to help the Senecas deal with a wide range of problems and challenges over the next two years.