Seneca rebellion defends Indian sovereignty
By Workers World Buffalo, N.Y., Bureau
The Seneca Tribe of the Haudenosaunee Nation rose up in rebellion
against the forces of New York state last week. Militant actions
closed down sections of the New York State Thruway and Southern
Tier Expressway that run through Indian land.
The rebellion was prompted by a racist, colonialist decision
handed down by the New York State Appellate Court. The decision
allows New York to tax Native businesses on Native land,
supposedly only for sales to "non-Indians". This decision--the
first of its kind--ignores treaty rights negotiated by the
Haudenosaunee with the U.S. government. It represents an
escalation in the war against Indian people and is meant to
bankrupt the few job-providing businesses on Indian land.
As of this writing, the Seneca nation has pushed back the state,
forcing the State Court of Appeals to issue a stay of the
Appellate Court ruling. The Senecas understand that this may only
be a temporary victory.
Closing border to hostile nation
Larry Ballagh, co-chair of the Seneca Coalition Against Taxes,
said if the tax ruling stands, "our intention [is] to cancel
existing contracts ... with utilities and state departments
covering right-of-way across our lands."
On July 13, 14 and 15, Seneca warriors stopped traffic going on
and off the Southern Tier Expressway and handed out an
informative flier. In effect, the Senecas' actions closed their
borders to the forces of a hostile nation.
New York state responded by sending troops. Over 200 state police
plus local forces were dispatched. Confrontations occurred each
time the troops tried to encroach on Indian territory. Through
the entire rebellion, ther furthest the troops dared to go was
100 yards onto Indian land.
On July 16, over 400 Senecas closed down the Southern Tier
Expressway and backed off state troopers from a bridge over the
thruway. The bridge is on Native land.
Seneca Councillor Jay Seneca ordered "all state police from the
reservation by 6:00 p.m. or Senecas would reclaim [the city of]
Salamanca and the expressway." Seneca continued: "We want Cuomo
to meet with Seneca leaders and live up to the treaties. There
will be no compromises. We want to keep the state police off the
reservation. As far as we are concerned, Cuomo has declared war
on the Indians. We want to meet him on Indian territory."
The swiftness and militancy of the Indians' response pushed back
the invading forces. The state police retreated from Indian land
by 5:00 p.m. The judicial stay of the tax ruling was handed down
July 17, temporarily putting the situation on hold.
Support for Indian treaty rights was evident from the start. The
Buffalo News quoted a tractor-trailer driver who said: "I like it
because people are getting stepped on by rich people constantly.
This is the only way to get recognized." Local radio call-in
shows logged calls six-to-one in favor of the Indian people.
New York state is looking to extort $50 million per year from
Indians with this tax scheme. It's a blatant attempt to shift the
burden of the capitalist recession partly onto the backs of the
Indian people.
When Gov. Mario Cuomo spoke to the Democratic National
Convention, the rebellion was in full effect. Cuomo never
mentioned treaty rights.
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(Copyright Workers World Service: Permission to reprint granted
if source is cited. For more info contact Workers World,46 W. 21
St., New York, NY 10010; "workers@cdp!igc.org".)
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