SALAMANCA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Seneca Nation officially has a new president.
J.C. Seneca was sworn in as Nation President during the Seneca Nation Canvass Day event at the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino Event Center in Salamanca.
I traveled to Salamanca on Tuesday to meet with President Seneca to learn more about his priorities as he takes office.
Me: Congratulations. What's this day like for you and your family?
President J.C. Seneca: "It's a great day. I'm very grateful and thankful for the opportunity to become President of the Seneca Nation. It's a big day because my father was President of the Seneca Nation, actually inaugurated on the same day 56 years ago. So my thoughts are with him, and my mother, and everything they taught me made me who I am today."
Me: You ran your campaign with the slogan "unifying the Seneca people." How do you accomplish that, and what does that unity look like under your leadership?
President J.C. Seneca: "I think it's inclusion you know, and sharing of information and bringing our people together and have community meetings to tackle the many issues that we face. Together we can accomplish that. I think in the past that hasn't been so and so that's a big change of what's going to happen in regards to that. A reach out to our community, and bringing them together and getting their advice, their ideas, their view points, and what they want in the future."
Me: As you take office, the Seneca Nation is in the middle of negotiating a new gaming compact with New York State. Where does that stand here tonight? What's your approach, and what are your expectations moving forward?
President J.C. Seneca: "Well again it involves the people. Our people have to be at the table with me. We have to come up with what they want. That hasn't happened. So, that is my first thing out of the gate is to include our people in those discussions and bring them in and have community meetings to develop a position in regards to what our people want because they are going to have to vote in, vote on it in a referendum, so they need to be involved, and they need to be a part of that process, and that's what I'll do."
Me: Has there been any contact with yourself and Governor Hochul and what do you expect in terms of those negotiations moving forward?
President J.C. Seneca: "No, I haven't had any contact with the Governor. Looking forward to that day when we do get together and have a conversation. Right now we are on pause because of election time. We will see where that goes I'm not sure exactly when we will meet but I'm sure we will in the coming weeks or months ahead."
