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State of the [ Seneca ] Nation AddressMarch 12, 2008 4:10PM
By Joe Wise
From the latest Newsletter Dated: February 29th.
Delivered by President John at the Saylor building on the Cattaraugus Territory.
Thank you for attending this evening.
I am here this evening to report to you on the state of the Seneca Nation of Indians � the state of the Nation is good.
We are in an unprecedented period of our history. We have wealth as never before and you are sharing that wealth � especially the young people among us tonight. You are our future.
Your government is managing the Nation to provide for the health, education and well-being of our people.
We are a Nation that is growing in strength and service. Tonight, I bring you an accounting of our Nation ofer the last 14 months. I will discuss our economy, education, health, housing, sports, and social programs.
And � I will offer a look into the future. If we are not moving forward, we're standing still.
We are a tribe that goes back to before the U.S. Constitution. I define tribe as a group of like-minded people who have common culture and goals. I continue to believe in the gus-weh-ta, where we established a relationship with the dutch people in 1713. That has never wavered.
Today, we have more Seneca Nation members than in recent years. The Nation has reacquired some of our native lands. We again own nine acres on Buffalo creek. We again own sections of the Allegany Territory that where taken from us. We again own land in Niagara Falls. We added 6 acres in Cuba and 50 in Erie county. In all, we have added more than 75 acres of land in the last year. The state of the Seneca Nation is � good.
Economy
The Seneca Nation's overriding goal is financial sovereignty for its people. This means having the financial resources to exercise our sovereign rights. For the first time in our history � since the treaty of 1794 � we have the resources to do just that.
It's clear that the Seneca Nation is the most active economic development force in Western New York.
The Seneca Nation of Indians in the last year expanded a $2 billion economy that employs in excess of 6,500 people.
If we where a corporation, we'd now be ranked fifth largest in Western New York, ahead of M and T bank for number of employees.
Yet our economy is built not only on class three and class two gaming � but also retailing, construction and trade.
Soon, we hope to ad energy management and power generation to diversify our economy.
Today, the Seneca Nation's people receive larger annuity payments � and those will increase again this year.
Another goal of my administration is to make sure that all our members � but especially our elders and our children � receive the benefits of this economic growth.
The state of the Seneca Nation is good.
Capital projects
Also improving life for the Nation's citizens and residents, there are more than a dozen major capital-improvement projects underway on the Nation's territories.
The Tribal council and I want all Senecas to witness and benefit from improvements in the community infrastructure � including new water and sewer projects, expanded improved water treatment and water delivery services.
We are drilling more wells on the Nation Territory to end our dependence on supplies from costly outside municipalities. In the spring of 2007, the Nation made an unprecedented capital improvement bond offering of $159 million � based on future casino income to pay for these good works. That will ensure projects underway or planned will be completed. My office and the Nation's council have the responsibility to make sure that the money we borrow is always in the best interest of the Nation and that our people and lands are protected.
These projects include a community sports complex for each Territory. Let me take a minute to highlight our sports complexes. Yes, they will be beautiful facilities where our people, young and old can work out and play lacrosse - �dea 'eo'� in our language. But they are more than just buildings. They are places where lacrosse �dewa 'eo'� enriches us again. They are places that will help our people promote better health. They are places that will become community centers for families. They are places that will be social centers, where Seneca friends play � and bond with � other Seneca friends.
The state of the Seneca Nation is good.
Jobs
The Seneca Nation, and I as your president, are doing all we can to make sure the Nation's spending benefits everyone � especially your businesses.
Every Seneca who wants to work can get preference to work. Union jobs will be plentiful this spring.
For instance, on all work on the Niagara Falls, Allegheny and Buffalo casinos to date, 200 contracts were signed worth more than $350 million. Of that - $258 million went to one 151 individual Seneca firms, or 81 percent of their value and 70 percent of the individual contracts.
Economic development is a fundamental part of the Seneca Nation. The Nation protects the rights to preferential employment, training and business opportunities within the boundaries of the Seneca Nation.
That is why, for all this work and these accomplishments, perhaps the Nation's greatest impact � both internally and externally � has bee, and will continue to be � economic.
The Nation in the last five years created thousands of new jobs. We hired people from Western New York and beyond to fill them. The receive salaries and benefits that provide millions of dollars in annual income and sales taxes for federal, state, county and local governments. Workers in our facilities in turn bought homes, cars, furniture, appliances and food � paying still more taxes.
They spread their Nation-based incomes throughout the region, where they support others' jobs.
More jobs are to come for construction of the $333 million Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino & Hotel.
In 2009, an additional 1,000 permanent jobs will be available in downtown Buffalo.
The Nation attracts out-of-state and Canadian customers to its businesses and resorts- especially the Seneca Allegheny Casino & Hotel � where more than two-thirds of the customers come from out of state chiefly from nearby Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The Nation also spent over $100 million in recent years with local contractors, builders, suppliers and service providers. That money ripples through the region's economy as well.
As the Canadian dollar continues to strengthen, the flow of customers and money from Western New York to Ontario will reverse and we will benefit from the additional customers from Canada.
The Nation expects gaming revenues to improve, not only due to our growth and innovations � but by attracting more Canadians to our resorts.
Also as I look to our improving future, the Nation is moving to create the structure so it can become a major construction contractor for the U.S. Government. This will expand the Nation's reach and influence and diversify its economy.
The Nation also plans to move into the energy generation business. We currently have a year-long experiment underway to test the feasibility of wind turbine farms on both our territories.
The Nation also looks forward to relicensing negotiation over the next few years of the Kinzua Dam. I'd like to create an option for our people to invest in hydro, power which is very profitable. It would be attainable during our re-licensing efforts for the Kinzua Dam.
Hydro and wind power could prove to be a long-term, stable supply of income for the Nation.
Improvements
I also want to emphasize that the Nation does not just build a resort and then operate it.
The expertise gained through the construction experience is then applied to the operation and management of the infrastructure facilities. We will train people for this work.
The Seneca nation, whose history precedes that of the U.S. Government, continues to grow and emerge as a progressive and neighborly force for change and progress in New York.
The state of the Seneca Nation is good.
Good Neighbors
Our former warrior society in the 1794 peace treaty literally doubled the size of the united states military by adding 1,500 Seneca warriors. The Seneca Nation agreed to support and fight with the new government � established as the United States of America. We continue to operate under a �good-neighbor policy� today.
The Nation hires local workers, attracts local bidders and by its nature and sovereignty will never move its operations to Mexico or China.
The aboriginal Western New Yorkers are still Western New Yorkers. We want what is best for all of us.
The 8,000-member Seneca Nation is sovereign, -- jealously guarding its tribal identity and investing in its tribal enterprises.
The Nation is dramatically improving the lives of its people. That may be in the traditional Faithkeeper's school or the new Cattaraugus language program that teach our young people native language and culture. Or it's in the Nation's commitment to health living with the new sports complexes, expanded wellness centers and support of diabetes research.
But we are not stopping there. It is the intention of my administration to continue to improve our people's circumstances.
The Nation is and will continue to live as a good neighbor.
Las year, the Nation contributed more than one and a half million dollars to ore than sixty groups on territories and charities in Western New York. Most of these donations had a direct effect on Seneca members.
Some of our contributions went to charities like: the Buffalo Zoo, the American Heart Association; Roswell Park; Make a Wish Foundation and Kids Escaping Drugs. The list goes on.
We already demonstrated how we can work closely with the leaders of Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus counties to our mutual benefit. The same can be said about the many localities with which we have relationships.
Ninety percent of our jobs to go people who live in the counties that include our territories, businesses and resorts.
Our council members and other leaders met twice last year with Gov. Spitzer � once after a march in Manhattan from the UN to his office. That's unprecedented for a first-year governor.
We reached an understanding with the governor about our sovereignty. We emphasized that with our rally last March in Buffalo � something we plan to do again soon. We want to continue our relationship as it stands with the state.
Most of the leaders we interact with understand that everything we do flows to the people. As long as our friends understand and embrace that concept we will always be friends.
Health
As you saw recently, that Nation announced a health incentive plan to help more of our members live healthier lives. We also plan to study whether the Nation should provide health insurance for its entire people. That study will conducted in this last year of my administration.
We want to be creative and innovative in health care so we all live long more prosperous lives.
Health, addiction and medical research facilities are expanding and expenditures are larger than ever in those crucial areas.
The Nation already built a state-of-the art wellness centers. The Nation's diabetes program has expanded to combat a disease that afflicts nearly half of the Nation's population.
Today, many of you experienced our Nike program to provided wider running shoes for Indian people. This is another aspect of our efforts on your behalf.
Operating for the first time last year, the Nation's Import-Export Commission fulfilled a crucial task of tobacco and gasoline regulation. The commission completed more than 200 compliance inspection on retailers and wholesalers on our territories. The fees generated by these activities go directly to the health and welfare activities and will help fund health incentives you recently received as Nation members.
Education
My administration also emphasizes a health mind. We must support our young people in school, colleges and graduate school � so that the leaders of tomorrow are trained and educated to manage the Nation, its economy and its future with sensitivity, ambition and excellence.
In 2007, more than 450 Seneca students attended grades K through 12.
In the 1960's, the Nation's leadership established and education foundation and the tribal council consistently funded its work. The foundation helps Seneca further their educations after high school.
As I said in July 2005 at the annual college graduates dinner:
�The way to ensure the permanence of our Nation and the protection of our sovereign rights [is] through the education of our people.�
As we have each year since, we witnessed expanded Seneca education achievements.
In May, I had the pleasure of attending the conferring of a university at Buffalo Ph.D. On doctor Rodney G. Haring, a graduate of Gowanda Central School.
Twenty-six more Senecas graduated from college in 2007, including Syracuse, Niagara, UB, Arizona, Florida Stat, St. Bonaventure, Fredonia, Binghamton and Buffalo State.
In 2007, the Nation awarded scholarships and tuition assistance to 256 college students.
I spoke at the Gowanda central school commencement exercises and we had 31 Seneca students graduate � a record number for Gowanda. In 2007, 23 of our Seneca students had perfect attendance in their schools and 22 more graduated from area high schools.
I am also initiating new a feasibility study of a charter school for our children on the Cattaraugus Territory. This would help ensure that our children are educated in our language, culture and history. When we met with Gov. Spitzer late last year , he told his staff to support this effort.
Our head start and child care programs thrive, with a stable staff and laudable goals and achievements.
Our Faithkeeper's School continues to develop cultural awareness in our younger generations and a new Cattaraugus program will do the same.
Council member Linda Doxtator is working with me to create a Seneca Leader Internship program to provide the opportunity for high school and college students to gain employment-related skills in their chosen fields.
The state of the Seneca Nation is good.
Drug rehab
I must also address one of the problems of our present that threatens those underpinnings. Some Nation members struggle with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and dysfunctional family live.
More money, flowing from the Nation's healthy economy, does not guarantee a healthy Nation.
I pledge to continue leading the discussion on these negative elements among us. If one Seneca is a pain, we all feel it � and our Nation is weakened.
We expand our drug treatment clinics and we will continue to work to end this destructive element in our communities.
Housing
Another element that needs improvement and is getting better is housing. In 2007, the Nation built 25 new homes for members and renovated and improved 57 more. The combination of the Nation's housing department and HUD � along with our program PUSH � made a start. But the need of our people for housing remains a critical matter.
During my administration, we also sponsored the 184 program to help Nation members who need a boost to their credit worthiness so they can qualify for financing.
Over the next ten months, we'll expand th e184 program to be on Territory too.
The poor and elderly can now qualify for free new housing.
In addition, the Nation's mortgage program grew from four loans in 2004 to 20 last year. The Nation currently has 75 loans in our program on both territories helping Nation members build and own homes at affordable interest rates.
The goal of all these initiatives � in the economy, housing, health care, curing social ills, education and sports � is to fully engage our people.
The state of the Seneca Nation is good.
Future
Today, the Nation, like our proud college graduates, is looking beyond its borders. As I look into the future, I see the changes our Nation is experiencing with all these programs I've discussed. But the purpose of those improvements is you.
We must treat each other as the people we want to become. I pledge my time, effort and energy to lead us in coming together around our shared culture. We must help our people raise themselves up � through education, better health, cultural appreciation and a stronger economy so we can move forward as one Nation.
We want to make our culture stronger. We must education our children with content that we design. We must make sure they are fluent in our language and culture and our history runs in their veins.
Self-identity and pride are critical to the growth and improvement of our Nation. We will stay engaged, but keep our native identity separate.
The Seneca nation is a force for change and growth in in Western New York, where our sovereign and native lands and people have existed since before recorded history.
Our future is bright and through many partnerships and collaborations inside and outside our Nation, we will continue to grow.
Your Seneca Nation ahas more members, more land, higher incomes, better housing, greater educational opportunities, cleaner water, expanded health and substance abuse care, improved infrastructure and facilities, more and better jobs. And, we have more goals.
The Nation is not stopping there, but ... The state of the Seneca Nation is good.
N'ya Weh