The Canandaigua Treaty Day Celebration is held annually in Canandaigua, New York, to polish the chain of friendship between the United States and the Six Nations, and to honor the sovereignty of the Haudenosaunee (hoh-DEE-noh-SHoh-nee) Confederacy. The Six Nations consist of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora, who originally and currently live in Northeast North America and Upstate New York. 

Ganondagan State Historic Site is home to the Seneca Art & Culture Center, which features stories of Haudenosaunee contributions to art, culture and society, and the Bark Longhouse, a replica of a 1600s Seneca family’s dwelling as well colonial trades and goods. Self-guided hiking trails, including a tree tour and medicine walk, are available year-round, dawn to dusk, weather-permitting. 

Co-created in 1794 by the young United States and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (an alliance of Six Nations), the Canandaigua Treaty was a binding, solemn agreement that defined mutual obligations between the independent nations. It set out to affirm land rights to the Haudenosaunee and established the promise of friendship between all parties. Today the treaty is commemorated by the Haudenosaunee by paying tribute to their peace-making efforts to uphold their end of the “chain” of friendship.

On November 11, Ganondagan State Historic Site hosted a lunch, lecture and tour to honor the 229th anniversary of the Canandaigua Treaty at their Seneca Art & Culture Center in Victor, NY. The annual event signals how the relationship between the United States and Six Nations has been challenged, strained, and violated, but reveals that the treaty itself has never been broken and is still recognized by both governments.

Several Parks staff members received the opportunity to participate in a tour of Ganondagan hosted by Historic Site Manager Michael Galban (Washoe/Mono Lake Paiute), Site Interpreter Kalen Fontenelle (Seneca Heron Clan), and Curatorial Assistant Kristin Asche (Seneca Wolf Clan).

Following the tour and a community meal with members of the Six Nations and Friends of Ganondagan, the group caravanned to the lawn of the Ontario County Courthouse to commemorate the treaty.  

Several Ganondagan staff reflected on what the annual Canandaigua Treaty commemorative event means to them: 

“Ganondagan offers world-class programming with an emphasis on encouraging respect and understanding between Native Americans and non-native Americans through the discussion of history and current culture of Haudenosaunee peoples,” says Meg Joseph, Executive Director of Friends of Ganondagan.

There is no shortage of opportunities to meaningfully engage and gain a deeper understanding of Native culture in New York State at Ganondagan. Fontenelle provided advice for non-Native American people to get involved beyond the Ganondagan 101. 

Historic Site Manager Michael Galban provided a final word of advice for those seeking to continue to engage, “Don’t just be extractive, be active.”

You can get involved with NY State Parks to honor Haudenosaunee culture at any of the following upcoming events at Ganondagan State Historic Site, including wellness programming,  a new art exhibition, Yöhso:s, of six contemporary Haudenosaunee painters, and a Winter Games Festival!

-Written by OPRHP Excelsior Service Fellows, Gabriela Wemple and Gabrielle Cohn. Thank you to the Ganondagan staff who graciously shared their knowledge.