The Onondaga Nation Farm
Nada Khader
From: Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation <no...@lists.riseup.net>
Date: Thu, Mar 27, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Subject: [noon] NOON E-Newsletter - The Onondaga Nation Farm
To: NOON Announcements List <no...@lists.riseup.net>
Welcome to the NOON e-newsletter for March 2025. Enjoy, and please share widely!
This month, in honor of spring and planting season, we are featuring an article by Onondaga Nation Clan Mother Wendy Gonyea on the Onondaga Nation Farm. The article will be included in a (forthcoming) updated version of the “Neighbor to Neighbor” booklet.
Onondaga Nation Farm
Alliances and friendships made by members of the Onondaga Nation throughout the years result in a peaceful co-existence with neighbors. One of the most significant is the Nation’s acquisition of 150 acres of land in close proximity to the Nation’s southern border. The late Jim Loader, a cattle farmer who lived off the grid, developed a business relationship - and friendship - with members of the Onondaga Nation. When Loader’s health declined he reached out to the Onondaga Council of Chiefs. They shared a common respect for the land. They devised a plan that would allow Loader to live the rest of his days on the farm, the Onondaga Nation would pay his overdue bills, and the title would go to the Onondaga Nation when he passed. The Loader farm has been under the Nation’s care since 1999.
The Onondaga Nation was historically a hunting, fishing and farming community with our citizens flourishing on foods provided by the land and waters. There was an abundance of natural foods; venison, turkeys and fish, along with wild greens, berries and nuts. Gardens flourished with several varieties of the “three sisters,” corn, beans and squash. Gathering and preparing foods was a constant necessity to an indigenous way of life.
Western colonization brought loss of lands, which brought a decline in traditional sustenance and harmful changes to indigenous diets. The Onondaga Nation community was introduced to food commodities distributed by the U.S. Government. These new foods were distributed at no cost to residents. Processed foods in cans, including meat, white flour, powdered milk and sugar found its way to Onondaga dinner tables, replacing traditional eating habits. This dramatic change had a devastating effect on the overall health of our community. Residents today deal with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other inflammatory illnesses.
However, today along with the addition of the Loader Farm, residents are taking back their ancestral roots. Family gardens are thriving as community members plant on lands as ancestors did in the past. The Nation’s farm, tucked away in fields and woods, has grown tremendously in productivity under the supervision of Angela Ferguson, Onondaga Eel Clan. The grasslands became gardens of corn, beans and squash, the woodlands a source of venison with trails to berry patches. Ferguson, and a hard-working crew brought skills and dedication to create a food source for the Onondaga Nation community. They added a hunting and fishing crew to bring back traditional foods. The farm workers also reached out to other indigenous community farms, sharing foods, ideas, and stories.
When the covid pandemic struck, and the public was urged to stay at home, surrounding farms were eager to share ample supplies, as with stores closing there was no outlet for their produce. The Nation farm workers organized volunteers to clean, cut, and prepare these gifts from neighboring farms for canning, cooking, and preservation. With the help of volunteers, deliveries of meals were made to the Nation’s elders throughout the pandemic.
The Farm became a part of the food sovereignty movement and formed alliances with indigenous organizations such as “Braiding the Sacred.” Braiding the Sacred is a grass roots collective of gardeners and planters who share stories, and trade for goods, all across Haudenosaunee territory and beyond. The Farm was gifted a seed collection from Charles Barnes, a Cherokee elder in Oklahoma, and today houses a seed repository of over 4,000 varieties of corn, beans, and squash, all of which are meticulously labeled and categorized. Some seeds have been returned to their places of origin to be planted and harvested in the coming generations, or planted in individual gardens. The Farm operates on the traditional economy of trading and gifting. There is no need for money to exchange hands. They also supply braids of white and colored corn for ceremonial use on the Nation and keep the Nation’s community school supplied with corn and other produce for special events. Prior to planting season, seed and plant giveaways are held for community gardens.
The farm crew traveled to Acoma Pueblo in 2019 to help farmers plant while building a friendship and spiritual relationship with like minded gardeners. They delivered buffalo from our Nation’s herd in exchange for the opportunity for Onondaga men to hunt elk in their lands. (The Nation’s buffalo herd was acquired in 1977 and lives on the southern end of the Onondaga Nation territory, the number fluctuating at around 50 head).
Visitors to the Farm are welcomed and often return, or invite Farm workers to their communities. Representatives of the national program, Feeding America, visited in 2023, and are working on sharing resources with the farm. Exposure within the Onondaga Community, as well as the world outside, has brought audio visual crews and journalists. Among them was a visit by distinguished author Charles Mann and National Geographic photographer Kiliii Yuyan. The two shared an evening meal of traditional foods with community members at the farm. Their visit and their travels to other indigenous communities resulted in a feature in National Geographic’s September 2022 issue.
The farm continues to grow. Pigs were added, with the hope of piglets. Bees came, so honey has been added to the farm giving. A chicken coop was gifted by the Interfaith Works of CNY in 2021, complete with supplies, fencing and 15 egg laying baby chicks! Community members are able to pick up eggs when available at giveaways.
Under Ferguson’s direction, the farm has involved youth in planting and harvesting at the Onondaga Nation School. They have also reached out to surrounding colleges and universities to teach students about history, treaties, and the land of our ancestors in our care. Three sisters’ gardens (corn, beans, and squash) have been planted by students at Syracuse, Colgate, Binghamton and Cornell Universities, with farm crew assistance.
Seven Buffalo Syrup was born after a relationship developed with Carl Wylers, owner of Cedarvale Maple on Onondaga Hill. After meeting the farm crew an agreement was made permitting Onondaga Nation farm workers the use of his sugar shack and tap lines. Jars of Seven Buffalo Syrup were distributed to elders at an annual Spring Luncheon, and the jars are available to the Onondaga Nation community.
The farm began in a special friendship with Jim Loader and continues to grow in a peaceful sharing of land and space.
-Wendy Gonyea, Clan mother, Onondaga Nation, Beaver Clan)
Upcoming Events
Mexikah Yankuik Xihuitl - Aztek New Year’s Celebration
March 29, 12-3 p.m. (FREE)
The McCarthy Mercantile Building, Downtown Syracuse, Underground Level
217 S. Salina St. Syracuse, NY 13202
12:30 p.m –Xochitl In Kuikatl: songs, flowers, and drums
1 pm - Explanation of the Mexikah New Year
1:15 p.m - Mexikah New Year Ceremony begins
1:30 p.m - Mitotilliztli: Seven dances ceremony begins. New year flag symbol ritual
End: Join the social dance circle
Indigenous Knowledges, Sustainability, and the Well-Being of Future Generations
April 1, 11AM-12:20PM
Dr. Yvonne Vizina, University of Winnipeg
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
5 Illick Hall, SUNY ESF
Haudenosaunee Social Dance
April 3, 5-8pm
Skybarn, Syracuse University South Campus – 151 Farm Acre Road
There will be catered food, singers, and Haudenosaunee Social and Round Dance songs. Free and open to the public.
Iroquois Museum - Front Entrance Ribbon Cutting
April 4, 10:30 a.m.
324 Caverns Road, Howes Cave, NY 12092
Join us for a public ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the Museum’s new reception area and shop! This project was made possible by generous funding from The Nicholas Juried Foundation and completed by Larry Gribben and his outstanding team at L. Gribben Woodworks.
Hodinohsoni Art Show
April 9-12, 2025
Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan State Historic Site
7000 Co Rd 41 (Boughton Hill Rd.) Victor, NY 14564
The show will feature Haudenosaunee artists in the six divisions of: Beadwork, Basketry, Traditional Arts, Fine Art 2D, Fine Art 3D, and Photography
Voices & Votes Opening Reception
April 18-May 30
Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center
6680 Onondaga Lake Pkwy, Liverpool, NY 13088
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America, a traveling Smithsonian Museum exhibit opens at the Skä•noñh Center on April 18. The opening event on Thursday, April 24 at 5:30 pm at the Liverpool Public Library will feature a talk from historian of the women's suffrage movement Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner; a showing of the documentary Without a Whisper, the untold story of the profound influence of Indigenous women on the suffrage movement in the US; songs by the Onondaga Women's Singing Society; Indigenous food samples from local caterer Tina Hill Thomas; and more! While the opening event is free to the public, registration is required.
Alice Di Micele in concert with special guest: our beloved local Colleen Kattau
April 19, 7pm
First Unitarian Universalist Society, 109 Waring Road, Syracuse, NY 13224
Concert organizer Michael Messina-Yauchzy says, "Alice, one of my very favorite contemporary folksinger-songwriters, fully embodies love of Earth and water and the social justice values we hold dear, with moving lyrics, a stunning voice, and great guitar skills." For examples, listen to "Voice of the Water" (a tribute to Standing Rock) and "Defend the Earth”. Facebook event here. Information and tickets are available here through Alice's web site, or make a donation at the door. Suggested donation is $20, less if you need to, more if you can.
Listen to the Elders Lecture series with Jamie Jacobs
April 21, 5-7pm
Bird Library, Peter Graham Scholarly Commons Room 114
Jamie Jacobs will be speaking on the importance of oral tradition, his experience working with elders over the years and work as managing curator of the Rock Foundation collections at the Rochester Museum and Science Center and is a ceremonial custodian in the longhouse of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation. Free and open to the public. For more information or to register, visit the Wellness Portal
Meinig Lecture: Global Geographies of Weather Modification in an Era of Climate Change
April 24, 2025 at 4:30pm – 5:45pm
Syracuse University, Eggers Hall, 220
Emily Yeh of the University of Colorado Boulder will present this year’s Donald W. Meinig Lecture, “Global Geographies of Weather Modification in an Era of Climate Change.”
As climate change impacts intensify, interest in the practice of cloud seeding to induce precipitation and otherwise modify the weather is on the rise around the world. Geography offers powerful analytical tools for understanding the practice of cloud seeding and the controversies it has created — including thinking geographically about the hydrosocial cycle, culture-nature binaries, volumetric geopolitics, and the need to take indigenous world-making practices seriously. The talk compares weather modification in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and China, showing that their practices and rationales are shaped quite differently by political, economic, institutional and socio-cultural contexts.
"Once a Tree: Continuity, Creativity, and Connection"
April 3 - November 30
Iroquois Museum, 324 Caverns Road,Howes Cave, NY 12092
This Iroquois Museum exhibit will explore the multiple ways in which trees are deeply woven into Haudenosaunee/Iroquois culture, tradition, thought, and expression. The project showcases over 80 objects -- fancy and utilitarian baskets, cradleboards, snowshoes, lacrosse sticks, toys, instruments, sleds, and more. The objects, largely from the 1980s and 90s, were thoughtfully selected from the Museum’s collection by Haudenosaunee artisans Richard “Terry” Chrisjohn, III and Shelia Ransom from Akwesasne and Preston Jacobs from Kahnawake. Their voices provide the interpretation for each of the objects on exhibit.
Hodinöšyö:nih Continuity | Innovation | Resilience
Rochester Museum and Science Center, 657 East Ave, Rochester NY 14607
This new permanent exhibit was curated by Jamie Jacobs (Tonawanda Seneca, Turtle Clan) and includes seven Haudenosaunee artists: Kyle Dowdy Jr. (Tuscarora, Bear Clan), Katsitsionni Fox (Akwesasne Mohawk, Bear Clan), Hayden Haynes (Seneca Nation, Deer Clan), Kenith "Nek" Jonathan (Tonawanda Seneca, Wolf Clan), Tonia Loran- Galban (Akwesasne Mohawk, Bear Clan), Natasha Smoke Santiago (Akwesasne Mohawk, Turtle Clan), and Coreen Thompson (Tonawanda Seneca, Bear Clan). "Hodinöšyö:nih Continuity | Innovation | Resilience was a years-long collaboration aimed at supporting the rights of people to tell their own stories (narrative sovereignty), sharing Hodinöšyö:nih perspectives, and creating a space that helps Hodinöšyö:nih people reconnect with traditional material culture and knowledge (rematriation)."
Carson Waterman: Art Saved My Life
Burchfield Penny Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14222
This new permanent exhibit on Seneca artist Carson Waterman features vibrant and thought-provoking works that explore themes of identity, culture, and heritage. View Waterman's remarkable series of large-scale paintings honoring eight Haudenosaunee Clan Mothers of the Seneca Nation, on loan from the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, alongside works that highlight the breadth of the artist's career.
Basket Exhibit
Akwesasne Cultural Center Museum & Gift Shop -(click here to see on Facebook)
Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10am - 6pm.
Our new basket exhibit is officially open! Stop in and look at 100s of Native made baskets from the 1970s to 1980s.
Monthly Events:
NOON Steering Committee Open Meeting. Please contact Lee Cridland, Peace Council Staff, for more info.
Indigenous News and Culture
‘OUR GAME’: Haudenosaunee push for IOC special approval to compete in lacrosse at 2028 Olympics
Restoring an Onkwehonwehnéha ecosystem
BIE staff cuts result in lawsuit from tribal nations, Native students:
LANDBACK: Spirit Lake Nation regains land from Fish and Wildlife Service
Places to Visit:
Skä•noñh - Great Law of Peace Center, 6680 Onondaga Lake Pkwy. Liverpool, NY 13088. Skä•noñh is a Haudenosaunee Cultural Center focused on telling the story of the native peoples of central New York. Now open from 10am-4pm Wednesday-Friday, and 11am-4pm on Saturday.
Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community, 4934 State Highway 5. Fonda, NY.
Ganondagan State Historic Site, 7000 County Road 41 (Boughton Hill Road) Victor, NY 14564. Bark Longhouse open May-October.
Seneca Iroquois National Museum, 82 W Hetzel St. Salamanca, NY 14779.
Iroquois Museum, 324 Caverns Road. Howes Cave, NY 12092.
About Us:
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) is a grassroots organization of Central New Yorkers which recognizes and supports the sovereignty of the traditional government of the Onondaga Nation. A program of the Syracuse Peace Council, NOON supports the right of Indigenous Peoples to reclaim land, and advocates for fair settlement of any claims which are filed. We are always looking for more folks to join our work in Central New York. Learn more here.
NOON works on the territory of the Onondaga Nation,
Firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
We express our deep gratitude to the Onondaga Nation for caring for these lands, waters, and all our fellow beings since time immemorial.
We offer heartfelt apologies for the terrible violence that colonizers have carried out against the Onondaga People and Nation, including theft of land and attempted genocide. We are thankful for their perseverance and survival. We commit ourselves to working in solidarity with the Onondaga Nation to protect their sovereignty and create a shared, sustainable future for all life.