FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mar. 14, 2013
Media Contact: Tony Astran Publicity Manager Seneca Gaming Corporation Phone: 716-501-2066 E-mail: TAstran@SenecaCasinos.com
HISTORIC 400 YEAR-OLD WAMPUM BELTS COME TO WESTERN NEW YORK Free presentations to the public take place this weekend in Buffalo and Irving as part of statewide Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign BUFFALO, N.Y. – The public will have the opportunity to see and learn about original Wampum Belts of Native Americans this weekend. Two presentations, both free and open to the public, will take place on Mar. 16 and 17 as part of the statewide Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, an educational initiative that commemorates 400 years since the first treaty between Haudenosaunee and European settlers. The first presentation on Saturday, Mar. 16, takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. at Native American Community Services, located at 1005 Grant Street in Buffalo. Guests are welcome to stay afterward for a potluck dinner and social dances from children with the Seneca Faithkeepers School. The second presentation on Sunday, Mar. 17, takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. at Cattaraugus Community Center, located at 12767 Route 438 in Irving. Each presentation will conclude with a question-and-answer session with the audience. The presentations feature Jake Edwards, a Chief of the Onondaga Nation with the title of “Wampum Keeper,” and Dr. Richard Hamell, associate professor emeritus on Monroe Community College’s Department of Geosciences. Each will display and discuss the three original Wampum Belts – Two Row, Hiawatha, and the Covenant Chain – as well as replicas of 65 other belts throughout history. The Wampum Belts rarely leave the Onondaga Nation and are guarded at all times, as they represent legal documents for the Iroquois Confederacy (Six Nations). The 400 year-old Two Row Wampum Belt outlines a model of friendship, peace between nations, and respecting one another’s sovereignty. For more information about the ongoing statewide Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, please visit http://honorthetworow.org.
About Seneca Gaming Corporation Seneca Gaming Corporation operates Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, N.Y., Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, N.Y. and Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course in Lewiston, N.Y. on behalf of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Since opening Seneca Niagara Casino in 2002, Seneca Gaming Corporation has grown to employ more than 3,700 people. Seneca Gaming Corporation operates world-class facilities offering more than 6,500 slot machines, 140 table games, 1,000 hotel rooms, a championship golf course and other related amenities. For more information, visit www.SenecaCasinos.com. ###