Ganondagan: Victor, New York: Page One
Seneca Nation Hosts Festival
By: Charles Giuliano - Aug 24, 2006
Ganondagan in upstate New York in the town of Victor, minutes from Rochester, sits on some 500 acres marking the former village of the Seneca Nation. It was devastated first during the French and Indian war and later leveled by George Washington's troops. Initially it was a community of 150 long houses of which one has been meticulously recreated. As many as 30 people and several extended families occupied a single dwelling. Each summer the historic site hosts a weekend long festival of music, dance, with vendors of native wares, traditional food, and education programs. The Seneca people demonstrate social dances as ceremonies are sacred and held only for native participants. The company of Bolivian dancers proved to be spectacular. They were adorned in splendid costumes imported from Bolivia. These young people are keeping alive their indigenous heritage that combines native and Spanish traditions. The enthusiasm of their performances was galvanic and infectious. We spent time in the long house with a bilingual native guide who informed us of Seneca history and tradition. Currently there is a $9 million capital campaign to add a visitors center to the site which will provide galleries for a permanent collection of historic materials, special exhibitions, an auditorium for performances and education programming. There is much to look forward to in future visits to Ganandagon.