BUFFALO, N.Y. — If you ask members of the Seneca Nation about Election Day 2024, they will tell you it's important for the native people.
"The Seneca Nation is very much a democracy, much like we know in the general United States, we have tribal counselors that effectively work a lot like Congress. We have our president. We know that works at the executive level. It's all very much mirrored. The United States government was essentially designed after the Haudenosaunee Confederacy," said Samantha Nephew, a member of the Seneca Nation.
J.C. Seneca, a well known businessman, is the endorsed Seneca Party candidate for president.
"As we approach 2025 I think certainly the importance of providing land and housing for our people is probably one of the main issues that I heard on the campaign trail, other than, of course, getting the compact done in regards to our class three gaming facilities," he said.
"So many of our people are scattered across Western New York and the country due to the restricted land base that we have in regards for our people to live on territory. And so I think my presidency, I want to be able to to secure land and provide it for our people to raise families on."
Seneca Nation General Election endorsed candidates:
- President — J.C. Seneca
- Treasurer — Al George
- Clerk — Lenith Waterman
- Allegany Council — Christian Reiller, Kevin W. Seneca, current Nation president Rickey Armstrong Sr. and Josh Becker
When it comes to the compact, Seneca added, "the leadership of the Seneca Nation and the governor's office has to be able to get this done. There's a lot of things that hang in the balance. One is a financial stability here within our nation, and, you know, making sure that we're able to get the revenue from these casinos that fund programs and help our people to live here on territory. It's a WNY problem as well, because many of the people that work and depend on our casinos for a job and revenue are Western New Yorkers, and so it affects them as well, and also the people that are the suppliers of products that people that do business with the casinos are also affected. And so if we don't have stability in that, in regards to what they're going to be, if they're going to be able to sell products to the Nation, or if they're going to have a job or be able to work there at the casino, or if they're not going to be in existence. So that's a big that's a big problem, and this problem needs to be fixed."