Support Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ Sovereignty & Rematriation

On this Indigenous Peoples' Day, the Gayogohó:nǫ˺ (Cayuga) Council of Chiefs thanks all the supporters of the traditional community. Thousands of people internationally have given their energy, labor, and resources to defend the sovereignty and human rights of the Gayogohó:nǫ˺ People and recognize the leadership of the council of chiefs and clan mothers. This fundraiser has reached over 50% of its goal and it is due to your generosity, which will always be remembered.

The traditional community remains in their homeland and still faces harassment from Clint Halftown and his illegitimate Cayuga Nation government. Clint Halftown was illegitimately established as the leader by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and continues his efforts to consolidate power and wealth and push out traditional people. The “Cayuga Nation of Indians” and associated businesses and mercenary, non-Indigenous “police” force have engaged in many ongoing acts of hostility and violence, including demolishing homes and the traditional schoolhouse, bulldozing the traditional gardens, using physical force against elders and children and holding families at gunpoint, keeping vulnerable citizens hostage without providing medical care for their life-threatening conditions, and using banishment threats against citizens through an unjust tribal court.

While this fundraiser has been scheduled to end today, unfortunately monetary aid is still needed as we continue to fight against Clint Halftown's tyranny against his own people. 

Visit www.gayogohono.org for more information.

O:neh

This fundraiser to support Gayogohó:nǫ sovereignty and rematriation provides the traditional Gayogohó:nǫ community in Seneca County with legal aid and supports the charitable purposes of: community development, cultural security, education, housing, and food sovereignty. Donations and recurring monthly gifts are encouraged. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law thanks to Tiny Seed Project, who is fiscally sponsoring this fundraiser. Visit gayogohono.org to learn more. Message from Gayogohó:nǫ chiefs and legal team: On Wednesday, August 3, 2022, Clint Halftown’s Council ordered the violent demolition of a Gayogohó:nǫ citizen’s home in Seneca County NY, as well as a barn that has been used as a gathering place for ceremonies. In the process, those enacting Halftown’s orders desecrated white corn that had just last week been rematriated to Gayogohó:nǫ, dumping it onto the ground in an act of cultural violence. Halftown’s campaign against the traditional community on Gayogohó:nǫ traditional territory is ongoing, and enabled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, who continue to acknowledge him as the federally recognized “Nation representative” for the Cayuga Nation. The Gayogohó:nǫ Council of Chiefs and Clan Mothers (the governing body of the Nation as recognized by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and according to the Great Law of Peace) has formally stated that they do not recognize him as such. The longer he is supported by the BIA, the longer he will be given resources to continue consolidating power and attacking the culture and community of the traditional Gayogohó:nǫ˺ people. The struggle is not over, as Halftown’s “police force” continue to intimidate the Gayogohó:nǫ˺ community. Update from HalftownMustGo organizers and Gayogohó:nǫ citizens: The community on the ground is still recovering from the bulldozing on Wednesday, August 3rd in Varick. Gayogohó:nǫ people and their friends are still present on the land that was targeted in the bulldozing and are setting up systems for people to safely stay there, given that Halftown’s mercenary Cayuga Nation Police (CNP) made the house unusable and the wreckage contains asbestos. CNP continue to surveil Gayogohó:nǫ homes on a daily basis using intimidation tactics like low-flying drones, filming, and driving by with floodlights on those homes in the night. From all available information, there is uncertainty as to if and when future demolitions, evictions, or arrests may be planned at this time. Networks of folks across the Two Row Wampum are organizing to prevent and mitigate as many of those potential escalations as we can. There has been a tremendous outpouring of local support. Food, safety supplies, hygiene items, and art supplies are being donated. Friends from throughout the region and various Indigenous nations have been on the ground to cook food, keep watch at people’s homes, etc. HMG is helping with numerous needs including diaper deliveries, dish-washing, overnight watch, ordering yard signs, strengthening our media and volunteer vetting processes, and recruiting legal observers and medics to come to the front lines. A few folks who have been on the front lines at points of resistance like Line 3 and Winnemuca have visited and are advising us on how to prepare our frontline systems for the long haul. Please sign the #HalftownMustGo petition on action network.

Dear friends of the Gayogo̱hónǫʼ (traditional Cayuga) in Seneca County NY,

On Wednesday, August 3rd, Clint Halftown ordered another attack against a traditional community member. Armed, non-Native mercenary "police" injured her and another Native woman, as well as destroying a classic farmhouse and a barn, where people have been gathering for community development and ceremonies. This attack is only the most recent of numerous acts of violence perpetrated by Clint Halftown's "Cayuga Nation" Enterprises against his own people.

Please wait for a news release coming soon. We urge you to contact Schumer's DC office: 202-224-6542 and Gillibrand's DC office: 202-224-4451, requesting that they honor the official rejection of Halftown as the Bureau of Indian Affairs Cayuga "tribal representative" by the traditional government of chiefs and clan mothers.

For more information, including the chiefs' official statement and to donate towards the Seneca Falls Gayogo̱hónǫʼ community's legal representation supporting their access to housing, please visit https://gayogohono.org/#learnmore. 

To donate by check, make payable to:
Tiny Seed Inc, (memo line- "Gayogohono Rematriation Support Fundraiser")
and mail to:
Tiny Seed Inc
Gayogohono Rematriation Support Fundraiser
154 Silver Rd
E Hardwick, VT 05836

Your support has raised 33% of the needed funds! Thank you for your generosity and allyship. Please continue to share this information.

Sign the petition by Halftown Must Go here!

Dear friends,

The HalftownMustGo campaign, initiated by non-Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ people living on Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ land, is organizing public pressure and calling on the BIA to honor Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ sovereignty and recognize the traditional and rightful governing authority of clan mothers and chiefs. The movement is growing, with New York state residents, town boards, and activist groups denouncing the aggressions against the traditional people perpetrated by the BIA-recognized Nation representative, Clint Halftown. The aim of HalftownMustGo is for the BIA to cease violating the principles of the Two Row Wampum Treaty by ending its recognition of Halftown, so that traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ people can live and carry their values and governance into the future without danger of being attacked. Unfortunately, we can't predict when the BIA will right its past wrongs and help make that happen. HalftownMustGo has a social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. Click here to sign their petition to the BIA, to help reach and surpass the goal of 800 signatures.

Good morning! We have reached 4% of our goal in just one week! Your support has raised $2,229 for the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ community. We still have a long way to go, so please share this information widely! Thank you for your support and allyship. 

~Donate here through GiveGab~

Cayuga Nation Council of Chiefs 

PO Box 433 

Union Springs, New York 

13160 

May 15, 2021 

The Cayuga Nation Council of Chiefs, Clanmothers, Faithkeepers, men, women, and children send greetings and are hopeful this letter finds you and your family in good health and spirits in these unprecedented times. 

We would like to bring to your attention a threat that is happening to the traditional Cayuga citizens in the traditional territory of the Cayuga Nation. These residences are in Seneca County, New York, which lies within the traditional territory of the Cayuga Nation. 

In the early morning hours of February 22, 2020, the traditional Cayuga citizens living on the traditional territory awoke to the destruction of their schoolhouse/longhouse along with several residential homes and businesses. This act of violence and destruction was ordered by Clint Halftown. 

The traditional Cayuga citizens living on the homeland are currently facing another crisis. This crisis is in the form of evictions from their residence by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Federal representative Clint Halftown. In the middle of a global pandemic Clint Halftown has issued eviction notices and court dates to the traditional Cayuga citizens. The Cayuga Nation citizens, Chiefs and Clanmothers consider the court established by Halftown as illegitimate. They are also experiencing daily harassment by an equally illegitimate non-Cayuga police force. How is it that a non-Cayuga citizen attempts to physically remove a Cayuga citizen from their traditional territory? 

The Bureau of Indian Affairs recognizes a group led by Federal representative Clint Halftown. Clint Halftown has failed as a Federal representative to the traditional Cayuga citizens. Clint Halftown continues to bring harm, anxiety, and stress to the traditional Cayuga citizens in an already stressful year. 

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has endorsed Clint Halftown as the Federal Representative and his illegitimate government and now they must remove him before he creates more devastation or death to the traditional Cayuga citizens or harm to innocent American citizens. 

The Cayuga Nation Council of Chiefs also state that we do not support Clint Halftown his government or his actions and to cease and desist from using the collective rights of the Cayuga Nation. 

The traditional Cayuga Nation Chiefs reference Article VII of the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty which states, "... complaint shall be made by the party injured, to the other: by the Six Nations or any of them, to the President of the United States." 

The Cayuga Nation Council of Chiefs asks you as leadership within the United States of American to pressure the President or the Bureau of Indian Affairs to seek the immediate removal of Clint Halftown and his government. 

Therefore, we implore upon you to urge your elected representatives to encourage the President to meet with the traditional Cayuga Nation Chiefs to resolve this issue immediately before more violence occurs. 

We would also like to acknowledge and thank our allies that are currently camping at locations of some of the traditional Cayuga citizens. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic the traditional Cayuga Nation Council has been holding virtual meetings. In consultation with the below listed Cayuga Chiefs, it has been determined that Shoyq:we:s and Deskaheh will sign on behalf of the traditional Cayuga Council of Chiefs. 

In peace and friendship, 

Cayuga Nation Council of Chiefs 

Steve Maracle 

Gaji’nǫdáwe̱heh 

Andy Warner 

Gadagwá:sę’

Blake Bomberry 

Hagya’dro̱hne’ 

Roger Silversmith 

Deyohǫwé:tǫ:’

William C. Jacobs 

Hadǫdá:heha" 

Samuel George 

Shoyǫ:we:s 

Steven E. Jacobs 

Deskaheh