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Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul convened leaders from the Indigenous Nations across New York State for a historic summit at the New York State Capitol in Albany.

PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor’s Flickr page.

Today’s summit was attended by the following Indigenous Nations:

• Cayuga Nation
• Oneida Nation
• Onondaga Nation
• Tonawanda Band of Seneca
• Tuscarora Nation
• Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe
• Shinnecock Nation
• Unkechaug Nation

This summit follows Governor Hochul’s commitment to supporting and strengthening relationships with Indigenous peoples across the state. As part of this commitment, Governor Hochul has:

• Appointed the First Deputy Secretary for Indigenous Nations. Elizabeth Rule was appointed Deputy Secretary for Indigenous Nations. Elizabeth is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and an Assistant Professor specializing in Native American Studies at American University. Prior to joining American University, Elizabeth directed George Washington University’s Center for Indigenous Politics and Policy. She received her bachelor’s degree from Yale University, and her master’s degree and Ph.D. from Brown University.
• Visited the Onondaga Nation Longhouse. Governor Kathy Hochul made a historic visit to the Onondaga Longhouse – the first visit by a sitting Governor in more than half a century – for a conversation with Onondaga Nation leaders, including Tadodaho Sid Hill, representatives of the Council of Chiefs, and Clan Mothers.
• Returned more than 1,000 Acres of Land to the Onondaga Nation. Governor Kathy Hochul, joined by United States Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Onondaga Nation Tadodaho Sidney Hill, announced a historic agreement as part of the Onondaga Lake Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program that will return more than 1,000 acres of scenic land to the Nation. As Natural Resource Trustees for the settlement with Honeywell International, Inc., the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service signed a resolution that directs Honeywell to transfer the title to more than 1,000 acres of open space in Central New York’s Tully Valley to the Onondaga Nation – one of the largest returns of land by any state to an Indigenous nation.
• Proposed to Strengthen Stability of Indigenous Families. The 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a federal law created to protect the best interests of Native American children involved in child custody proceedings. The law emerged as a response to the disproportionate rates at which both residential boarding schools and state actors removed Native American children from their homes, communities, and Indigenous Nations. This year, New York’s Deputy Secretary for Indigenous Nations and the Office of Children and Family Services, will advance, in consultation with Nation leadership and stakeholders, strategies to strengthen the objectives of the Indian Child Welfare Act, underscoring New York’s commitment to redressing injustices inflicted upon Indigenous communities.
• Ensured Dental Care Access for Indigenous Nations. As part of the FY 2025 Budget, New York State will include $2.5 million in funding for Indigenous Nations dental health care, with the aim of addressing gaps in access. This funding will help ensure Indigenous Nations dental offices and providers can offer treatment without referring patients off-site and away from Nation territories. This builds on Governor Hochul’s commitments to lifting up Indigenous Nations throughout New York, including directing New York’s Deputy Secretary for Indigenous Nations and the Office of Children and Family Services to advance strategies to strengthen the objectives of the Indian Child Welfare Act and commencing a comprehensive review of artistic representation of Indigenous peoples at the New York State Capitol.
• Responded to Offensive Representations. To ensure that all New Yorkers are welcomed in the State Capitol, Governor Hochul will commence a comprehensive review of artistic representation of Indigenous peoples in the Capitol, with invited participation from representatives from each of the nine Indigenous Nations. All New Yorkers should feel welcome and respected when visiting the Capitol, but unfortunately, offensive imagery and distasteful representations of populations in the art which adorns the Capitol can alienate visitors. Assessments of offensive artistic representations of Indigenous peoples are informed by precedent more than eighty years old, and Indigenous peoples, in particular, are often depicted in artworks in a manner that reflects harmful racial stereotypes and glorifies violence against Indigenous peoples. Such depictions do not reflect the values of New York State.