By Carol Fisher-Linn
The 35th annual PowWow, The Marvin “Joe” Curry Veterans Powwow, formally known as the Seneca Casino Thunder Falls Veteran’s Powwow, is an annual contest powwow in honor of all Seneca Nation veterans. Curry, born into the Snipe Clan on the Cattaraugus Territory (Irving) played a critical role in establishing a Veterans Affairs advocate initiative for the Seneca Nation, thus establishing the Iroquois Post 1587 with a focus on youth and paying tribute to Seneca Nation native warriors. Thanks to the Iroquois Post 1587 the Seneca Nation and the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino, visitors from throughout WNY and our Canadian neighbors can participate in and enjoy this historic cultural event here in Salamanca.
Readers are encouraged to visit the PowWow grounds (Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino) throughout the three-day event to enjoy the Culture Revitalization Tent from the Seneca Iroquois National Museum for artist Demonstrations! Check their schedule online for various demonstrations by Haudenosaunee artists on various art forms such as pottery, basketry, beadwork, and wampum. Demonstrations will take place throughout the entire weekend. July 17-19. Grand Entry Times for dancers, drummers and participants: Friday 6:00pm, Saturday Noon, Sunday Noon. Gates open at 10am and festivities, dances, and competitions generally wrap up by 8pm.
As you enjoy the culture, food and dances, things may have more meaning if you understand a bit about Native American people and their history. Although not original to the Haudenosaunee Nations modern powwows emerged from 19th-century Plains Grass Dance Societies. Some of the dances you will see during the weekend will be ceremonial while others are social. Sadly, in the 19th century, the government of the United States went to great, unveiled attempts to destroy Native American identity and anything that supported it, including language, dress, traditions and the ceremony of dance. One dance, The Grass Dance, remained permitted, giving the Native Americans something to hold onto – a tradition preserved. Since tribes across America were uprooted from their Mother lands and relocated, some even intermingling, powwow became both an expression of culture, determination and resilience. Today, at powwows, these dances preserve the little that is remembered of traditional dance
Tina Abrams, Seneca Wolf Clan, member of the Seneca Nation Council will be honored with a special honor dance on Friday immediately following the Grand Entry, approximately 7pm. NY State Senator Borrello will be there to honor her as the recipient of the 57th District’s 2026 Woman of Distinction Award which she received this past May in Albany.
Many dances will be performed on a competitive, contest level, but this particular dance will have special meaning.
This borrowed practice of the powwow has been deeply enriched with Seneca identity, becoming a space where Haudenosaunee (Hodinöhsö:ni’) traditions, like the powerful Smoke Dance, shine. Today, for the Seneca Nation, powwows celebrate both intertribal unity (competing dancers and drummers will come from tribes all over the U.S.) and a proud expression of being Seneca in the modern world. And for the visiting public, the powwow provides an opportunity to be entertained, to learn about and appreciate native culture, art and food like corn soup or fry bread. If you have never been, it’s time to discover the art of dance and music, Native American style. In Seneca language “Dö:gë’ nígöëwënyá’dö:k” (roughly pronounced do-gen ne-go-a-wen-yah-don), loosely translated by Google – “enjoy yourself,” or “have a good time.”
For more information about updated times, events, etc., go to www.senecapowwow.org or the Seneca Nation PowWow Facebook page.