Construction Of The Kinzua Dam Been Symbolic To The Seneca Nation

277 Words2 Pages

The construction of the Kinzua Dam in the 1960 has been symbolic to the Seneca Nation people. Ohi:yo dwagahdegyo:’ -I am from the ancestral land that covered 10,000 acres that ran along the ohi:yo; Alleghany River. In 1794 Seneca nation signed a peace treaty with the United States that guaranteed land for the Seneca people. Article three in the 1794 treaty declared that “the United States acknowledge all the land within the aforementioned boundaries, to be the property of the Seneka [sic] nation; and the United States will never claim the same, nor disturb the Seneka nation.” The inception of Kinzua Dam initiated in 1950 while the Seneca nation people were unaware. In 1956 the government declared the construction of Kinzua Dam to be emplaced on the reservation. …show more content…

In 1960 the construction of Kinzua dam begun. Families were forcibly moved to other locations, homes; including the longhouse were burned to the ground, graves were left and families were broken hearted. The dam was created over 1,900 feet long and 179 feet high. It created the largest lake in Pennsylvania; 130 feet deep with the Seneca nation reservation at the bottom. This was sincerely one of the many horrifying events the Seneca people had to adhere to. The effects of the Kinzua dam still plays a powerful toll on the people today. The history shared with Kinzua Dam exemplifies the significance of land to indigenous people. It is important to acknowledge the ancestral land so that the newer generations have knowledge on those who stood before them and they know where they originated

More about Construction Of The Kinzua Dam Been Symbolic To The Seneca Nation

Open Document