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Reclaiming Ohi:yo'- Restoring the Altered Landscape of the Beautiful River Ohi:yo' Restoration and Resiliency Projects Members of the Seneca Nation's Watershed Resources Working Group are involved in various restoration and resiliency projects for our Ohi:yo'. The Seneca Nation's Fish and Wildlife Department in particular engages in projects related to building artificial habitat, repopulating our river's Walleye population, and building trenches to help land locked fish. Fighting for the Water: Fracking Wastewater in Ohi:yo' In 2016 the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) began deliberating a 1,000-barrel/day of unconventional gas drilling wastewater (Frack Wastewater) disposal facility in Potter County proposed by Epiphany Allegheny LLC. In response to the news of these fracking plans, our Seneca people again fought for our people, our communities, and our Ohi:yo'.

Johnny Cash, 1969

In 1964, Johnny Cash, a well-known American country singer, released his album titled Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. One of Johnny Cash's more controversial albums, Cash's album brings attention to the U.S. government's treatment of its indigenious population. In his song, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow", Cash brings attention to and narrates the Kinzua Dam controversey. In his lines "The treaties are safe we'll keep our word but what is that gurgling/ It's the back water from Perfidy Lake it's rising all the time" Cash is referencing words from Melvin Patterson (Seneca) spoken on September 15, 1962 at the gathering and honoring of Chief Cornplanter and the Cornplanter Grant, land that would be completely inundated by the Allegany Reservoir. During Patterson's speech he said "From this day forward we of Indian blood will call the waters that will flood this reservation practically out of existence the Lake of Perfidy." Lake of Perfidy is a reference to the lake that the reservoir would make out of the Senecas unceded land. This work has been released into the public domain by its copyright holder, Cowles Communications, Inc. This applies worldwide. This is a photo taken by Joel Baldwin when working as a staff photographer of LOOK Magazine, and is part of the LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress. Their former owner, Cowles Communications, Inc, dedicated to the public all rights it owned to these images as an instrument of gift. Cowles has expressed its desire that these images not be used for "trade or advertising purposes". However, this request cannot be meant as a legally binding copyright restriction on their re-use, as all the rights to this image were released, rather, it is a caution against the use of celebrity images to imply product endorsement, drawn from civil rights law, and is unrelated to copyright. It may be the case that the copyright to this photograph may be retained by Joel Baldwin or his/her heirs. Please make sure that Joel Baldwin's photos from Look Magazine are freely licensed.

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1. Cornplanter Grant Visit, Stop at Kinzua Dam Members of the Seneca Nation, Society of Friends, and Congress stopped at the construction site of Kinzua Dam on their way to the Cornplanter Grant on September 15, 1962. Identified in the photograph, Front to back, right to left: Harry Watt (center), Myra Watt, Fred Claflin, Gert Claflin, Darla Claflin, Butch Claflin, Walter Jimerson, Dorothy Jimerson, Gordon Jimerson, Ron Jimerson, Effie Johnson, and Boyd Johnson. September 15, 1962 was declared "American Indian Day" by New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller, most likely in response to the controversy surrounding the building of Kinzua Dam. Members of the Seneca Nation of Indians, Society of Friends, and Congress gathered at the Cornplanter Monument located on the Cornplanter Grant in Warren County, Pennsylvania to mourn and remember Chief Cornplanter and the land that makes up the Cornplanter Grant. The Cornplanter Monument and the Cornplanter Grant were both named in honor of Chief Cornplanter, one of the signers of the Canandaigua Treaty and a very esteemed member of the Senecas; if Kinzua Dam was completed the Allegany Reservoir would completely submerge the Cornplanter Grant. Members of the Seneca Nation stopped at the construction site of Kinzua Dam on their way to the Cornpanter Grant. Senecas in the photograph can be seen wearing components of Plains Indian regalia, which was worn throughout many of the photographs of the Kinzua Era as a way to bring attention to the issue and be seen as identifiably "indian" by the American public. Identified in the photograph, Front to back, right to left: Harry Watt (center), Myra Watt, Fred Claflin, Gert Claflin, Darla Claflin, Butch Claflin, Walter Jimerson, Dorothy Jimerson, Gordon Jimerson, Ron Jimerson, Effie Johnson, and Boyd Johnson.
2. The President John F. Kennedy Letter (pg 1 of 2) Seneca Nation Presidents', beginning with Cornelius Seneca (1956-1958), began writing to public officials in Pennsylvania, New York, and even the President of the United States in an effort to stop the construction of Kinzua Dam. In a letter from U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy declares that he will not halt the construction of Kinzua Dam. President Kennedy's reasoning, like many who supported building the dam, argued that national U.S. interests superceded that of our Seneca people. President Kennedy's remarks and stance on the issue were not unusual for this time period.
3. Kinzua Vigil, 1961 On August 12, 1961 a small group of Quakers, who named themselves the Treaty of 1794 Committee, and our Seneca people gathered in Kinzua, Pennsylvania for a protest vigil against the construction of the Kinzua Dam. The Society of Friends has historically been involved with the Seneca people and the Seneca Nation of Indians since the Pickering Treaty (Treaty of Canandaigua) was signed in 1794, the same treaty which would be broken by the building of Kinzua Dam. Since 1795 the Society of Friends has maintained an Indian Committee as part of their Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Many of their Quaker allies like Walter Taylor and Theodore "Ted" Hetzel were a part of said committee. Identified in the photograph is Harold Parker, standing center; third from the left facing front is Bessie Parker, Harold Parker's wife.
4. "Critic at Large: The Senecas Being Forced From Their Lands are Bitter with Good Cause"
5. President Cornelius Seneca Public Outreach Letter (pg 1 of 4)
6. Letter from President John F. Kennedy to SNI President Basil Williams (pg 2 of 2) Seneca Nation Presidents', beginning with Cornelius Seneca (1956-1958), began writing to public officials in Pennsylvania, New York, and even the President of the United States in an effort to stop the construction of Kinzua Dam. In a letter from U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy declares that he will not halt Kinzua Dam's construction. President Kennedy's reasoning, like many who supported building the dam at this location, argued that national U.S. interests superceede that of the Senecas. President Kennedy's remarks and stance on the issue were not unusual for this time period. Shortly after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would be constructing Kinzua Dam in Warren, Pennsylvania, which would result in the inundation of one-third of the Seneca Nation of Indians Allegany Territory, we as a nation began voicing our dissent. Seneca Nation Presidents', beginning with Cornelius Seneca (1956-1958), began writing to public officials in Pennsylvania, New York, and even the President of the United States in an effort to stop the construction of Kinzua Dam. In a letter from U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy declares that he will not halt Kinzua Dam's construction. President Kennedy's reasoning, like many who supported building the dam at this location, argued that national U.S. interests superceede that of the Senecas. President Kennedy's remarks and stance on the issue were not unusual for this time period. The American popular perception of Native Americans during the 1950s and 1960s could not separate stereotypical Plains Indian tropes from modern descendants of indigenious populations, like the Seneca Nation of Indians. There was a prevailing notion among many Americans that there were no more living "authentic" Native Americans. U.S. Indian policy at this time reflected these viewpoints and worked towards eliminating the nation to nation relationship that federally recognized indian status created.
7. Johnny Cash, 1969 In 1964, Johnny Cash, a well-known American country singer, released his album titled Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. One of Johnny Cash's more controversial albums, Cash's album brings attention to the U.S. government's treatment of its indigenious population. In his song, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow", Cash brings attention to and narrates the Kinzua Dam controversey. In his lines "The treaties are safe we'll keep our word but what is that gurgling/ It's the back water from Perfidy Lake it's rising all the time" Cash is referencing words from Melvin Patterson (Seneca) spoken on September 15, 1962 at the gathering and honoring of Chief Cornplanter and the Cornplanter Grant, land that would be completely inundated by the Allegany Reservoir. During Patterson's speech he said "From this day forward we of Indian blood will call the waters that will flood this reservation practically out of existence the Lake of Perfidy." Lake of Perfidy is a reference to the lake that the reservoir would make out of the Senecas unceded land. This work has been released into the public domain by its copyright holder, Cowles Communications, Inc. This applies worldwide. This is a photo taken by Joel Baldwin when working as a staff photographer of LOOK Magazine, and is part of the LOOK Magazine Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress. Their former owner, Cowles Communications, Inc, dedicated to the public all rights it owned to these images as an instrument of gift. Cowles has expressed its desire that these images not be used for "trade or advertising purposes". However, this request cannot be meant as a legally binding copyright restriction on their re-use, as all the rights to this image were released, rather, it is a caution against the use of celebrity images to imply product endorsement, drawn from civil rights law, and is unrelated to copyright. It may be the case that the copyright to this photograph may be retained by Joel Baldwin or his/her heirs. Please make sure that Joel Baldwin's photos from Look Magazine are freely licensed.
8. "Quaker Booklet Urges Quick Action on Seneca Indian Bill", The Republican-Press, Jan. 28, 1964
9. Robert Haines Reply, Kinzua Project of the Indian Committee, 1963
10. Kinzua Project of the Indian Comittee Report, 1963
11. President Cornelius Seneca Public Outreach Letter (pg 2 of 4)
12. President Cornelius Seneca Public Outreach Letter (pg 3 of 4)
13. George D. Heron Speech, Nov. 22, 1963 (2 of 4)
14. President Cornelius Seneca Public Outreach Letter (pg 4 of 4)
15. George D. Heron Speech, Nov. 22, 1963 (3 of 4)
16. George D. Heron Speech, Nov. 22, 1963 (4 of 4)

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Johnny Cash, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow"
In 1964, Johnny Cash released his album titled Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. It was one of Johnny Cash's more controversial albums because it brought public attention to the U.S. government's treatment of its indigenous population. In his song, "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow", Cash brings attention to and narrates the Kinzua Dam controversy.
On the Seneca reservation there is much sadness now
Washington's treaty has been broken and there is no hope no how
Across the Allegheny River they're throwing a dam
It will flood the Indian country a proud day for Uncle Sam
It has broke the ancient treaty with a politician's grin
It will drown the Indians graveyards corn planter can you swim
The Senecas hired an expert to figure another site
But the great good army engineers said that he had no right
Although he showed them another plan and showed them another way
They laughed in his face and said no deal Kinzua dam is here to stay
Congress turned the Indians down brushed off the Indians plea
So the Senecas have renamed the dam they call it Lake Perfidy
-Select Lyrics from "As Long As the Grass Shall Grow"

In the song's lines "The treaties are safe we'll keep our word but what is that gurgling/ It's the back water from Perfidy Lake it's rising all the time" Cash is referencing words from Melvin Patterson spoken on September 15, 1962 at the gathering and honoring of Chief Cornplanter and the Cornplanter Grant, land that would be completely inundated by the Allegany Reservoir.

During Patterson's speech he said "From this day forward we of Indian blood will call the waters that will flood this reservation practically out of existence the Lake of Perfidy." Lake of Perfidy is a reference to the lake that the reservoir would make out of the Senecas unceded land.

In 2015, Antonino D'Ambrosio directed and wrote the documentary We're Still Here: Johnny Cash's Bitter Tears Revisited that provides more in-depth information on Johnny Cash's album Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian (1964).