The Seneca tribe is the largest of the five Native American nations in the Iroquois League. They settled in what is now New York state, spoke Ogwehoweh, and referred to themselves as “great hill people”. They hunted, fished, and farmed “the three sisters” crops. They became allies of the British against the French and maintained their independence until the Revolutionary War. They were defeated and resettled on land that became their reservation. The tribe has five reservations in New York and one near Miami, OK, and provides various services to its members.
The Seneca tribe is the largest of the five Native American nations that make up the Iroquois League. Located further west than the Iroquois tribes, the Seneca tribe originally settled the area of what is today New York state living in longhouses along the Genesee River and near Canandaigua Lake. Ogwehoweh is the official language of the tribe, and the Senecas refer to themselves as Onondowahgah or “great hill people” because their creation story describes how they were born under South Hill near Canandaigua Lake.
Members of the Seneca tribe work or reside on five reservations in New York or near Miami, OK. There is also a significant Seneca population on the Grand River territory in Brantford, Ontario, where Native Americans who supported the British during the 18th-century American Revolutionary War were forced to flee after the conflict ended.
Before contact with Dutch and British settlers and explorers in the 16th century, the Seneca tribe supported themselves by hunting and gathering, fishing, and growing squash, maize, and beans, a trio of key crops known as “the three sisters”. Women were typically responsible for harvesting and farming, as well as caring for domestic animals, while men hunted, fished, and cleared land for villages. Although women often had sole ownership of their land and could lead clans as “clan mothers”, they had relatively little influence over tribal leaders. The Seneca tribe eventually participated in the fur trade with Europeans, which increased tensions with neighboring Native American nations such as the Huron.
Known as fierce tattooed warriors among their neighbors, the Seneca tribe’s warlike skills and effectiveness improved after they received weapons from Dutch settlers. Seneca warriors are believed to have led the Iroquois conquest of the Huron and Andaste among other tribes. The Seneca tribe also became allies of the British against the French and thus managed to maintain their independence and power until the 18th century.
Seneca rule ended during the Revolutionary War when the tribe was defeated at Fort Niagara by an army of men sent by George Washington under the command of General Sullivan. As a result, the Senecas were resettled on land that became the tribe’s reservation after 1784.
The tribe’s New York reservations include Allegany, Cattaraugus, Buffalo Creek, Niagara Falls, and Oil Springs. Allegany and Cattaraugus are residential reserves, while the remaining three are used for the tribe’s commercial activities, including gambling and the sale of petrol and cigarettes. The Seneca established a constitution and government of elected officials in 1848, and the tribe provides health care, early childhood services, education, language classes, and a tribal youth council. The Tonawanda Band of Seneca split off from the main tribe in the mid-19th century and reside near Akron, New York on the Tonawanda Reservation. There are other Senecas who reside near Miami, OK., where they operate a cigarette factory and casino.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
