Two top employees of the Cayuga Indian Nation addressed the Seneca County Board of Supervisors Tuesday night asking the county leaders to recognize the Cayuga’s 64,000 acre reservation; recognize there is no leadership dispute as Clint Halftown is the recognized leader; and uphold the law.

Missy Barringer is the Cayuga Nation Chief Operating Officer.

BJ Radford is the Cayuga Nation Chief Financial Officer.

The Board of Supervisors took no action last night concerning the Cayuga Nation.

Statements from Missy Barringer and BJ Radford.

GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU THIS EVENING.

MY NAME IS MISSY BARRINGER AND I AM AN ENROLLED CAYUGA NATION CITIZEN. I AM A MEMBER OF THE WOLF CLAN, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FIVE CLANS THAT MAKE UP THE CAYUGA NATION COUNCIL, OUR UNDISPUTED GOVERNING BODY. AS OF JUNE 1ST OF THIS YEAR, I AM ALSO THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF THE NATION’S ENTERPRISES. I AM PROUD TO BE WORKING FOR MY NATION FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL OUR CAYUGA PEOPLE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY WHEN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE AND THE CAYUGA NATION WORK TOGETHER TO FURTHER OUR MUTUAL INTERESTS AND MAKE SENECA COUNTY A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL OF US.

WITH THAT GOAL IN MIND, THERE ARE TWO KEY FALSEHOODS THAT HAVE PLAGUED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS BOARD AND MY NATION FOR MANY YEARS. I WANTED TO PROVIDE CLARITY ON THESE TWO ISSUES SO THAT THEY CAN BE PUT TO REST ONCE AND FOR ALL.

FIRST. THE CAYUGA NATION HAS A RESERVATION. IT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE TREATY OF CANANDAIGUA AND WAS SIGNED IN 1794.

THE FOLLOWING ENTITIES RECOGNIZE THE

• EVERY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY RECOGNIZES THE CAYUGA NATION RESERVATION.

IT IS TIME FOR SENECA COUNTY TO ACCEPT AND ACKNOWLEDGE IT TOO.

FURTHER ASSERTIONS TO THE CONTRARY ARE NOT TRUTHFUL. THEY ARE UNPRODUCTIVE AND FEED AN ATMOSPHERE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THE FORMING OF ALLIANCES.

SECOND. THE OTHER FALSEHOOD I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE END TONIGHT IS THAT THERE IS A LEADERSHIP DISPUTE WITHIN THE CAYUGA NATION. THERE IS NOT CURRENTLY, NOR HAS THERE BEEN ANY LEADERSHIP DISPUTE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. 62% OF CAYUGA NATION MEMBERS VOICED AFFIRMATIVE SUPPORT FOR OUR CURRENT COUNCIL AND ESTABLISHED OUR CURRENT FORM OF GOVERNANCE. THE BALANCE VOICED A DIFFERENT CHOICE OR WERE SILENT. CLEARLY THERE ARE A SMALL NUMBER OF NATION MEMBERS WHO DID NOT LIKE THE DECISION MADE BY THE MAJORITY OF OUR NATION CITIZENS. THEY ARE FREE TO HAVE

THEIR OPINIONS. BUT, BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE, THEY DO NOT GET TO TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. I AM ONE OF THOSE 62% WHO ACTIVELY CHOSE OUR CURRENT LEADERSHIP. AND THEY DO NOT GET TO OVERRULE WHAT THE MAJORITY OF CAYUGA NATION CITIZENS CHOSE SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT LIKE THE OUTCOME. THE LAST TIME THE U.S. ELECTED A PRESIDENT WITH A LARGER MAJORITY WAS IN 1820 WHEN THEY ELECTED JAMES MONROE.

THIS SMALL GROUP WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE THAT GOVERNING WITH THE CHIEF SYSTEM IS THE WAY OF GOVERNANCE THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED AND THAT WE, THE CAYUGA PEOPLE, ARE FORCED TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW IT FOREVER. IT SIMPLY IS NOT THE CASE.

HISTORICALLY, MANY OF THE IROQUOIS NATIONS’ FORMS OF GOVERNANCE HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE LAST 200 + YEARS.

• THE SENECA NATION MOVED TO A DEMOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE MID 1800’S. THEY ELECT THEIR LEADERS IN GENERAL ELECTIONS EVERY TWO YEARS.

WE HAVE RULES, REQUIREMENTS, REGULATIONS AND A JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS US TO HOLD OUR ENROLLED NATION MEMBERS TO THESE PRE- DETERMINED STANDARDS. WHILE WE HAVE SPENT YEARS TRYING TO BRING THESE DISSIDENT INDIVIDUALS TO JUSTICE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO BRING THE REMAINING FELONS TO JUSTICE, WHO ARE NOT CAYUGA NATION CITIZENS.

THIS WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD TIME TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF CANADIAN INVOLVEMENT.

IN 1784, 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CAYUGA RESERVATION BY THE TREATY OF CANANDAIGUA, JOSEPH BRANTS’ CAYUGA FOLLOWERS, ALONG WITH HIS FOLLOWERS FROM EACH OF THE IROQUOIS NATIONS, CHOSE TO LEAVE AND GO TO CANADA TO AVOID PERSECUTION FROM THE NEWLY FORMED UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, FOR FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF THE CROWN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. THOSE THAT STAYED CONSISTENT WITH THE CAYUGA NATIONS’ POSITION OF NEUTRALITY IN THE WAR, STAYED BEHIND. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY WERE THE VERY PEOPLE THAT WERE DRIVEN OFF THEIR LAND BY THE SULLIVAN CAMPAIGN.

IN 1794, WHEN THE CANANDAIGUA TREATY WAS SIGNED ESTABLISHING THE CAYUGA NATION RESERVATION, OUR NATION LEADER, CLINT HALFTOWN’S ANCESTOR, WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED THIS TREATY ON BEHALF OF OUR NATION.

THIS HISTORY CONTINUES FORWARD AND WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT AND PROBABLY NOT COVER IT ALL.

THE RELEVANT POINT I AM TRYING TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT IS THAT THE CAYUGAS THAT RESIDE TODAY IN CANADA, ON THE 6 NATIONS RESERVE, ARE A SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FIRST NATIONS GROUP AND HAVE NO RIGHTS OR LAND HOLDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES. THOSE RIGHTS WERE ESTABLISHED LONG AFTER THEY LEFT. WHILE WE SHARE THE SAME NAME, WE HAVE DIFFERENT CLANS, DIFFERENT ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS, AND DIFFERENT FORMS OF GOVERNMENT. THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE FEDERAL COURTS IN THE LAND CLAIM CASE FILED IN 1980, WHEN THE CANADIAN CAYUGAS TRIED TO INSERT THEMSELVES AND THE COURT REFUSED. EVEN FEDERAL LAW SAYS THAT ENROLLED FIRST NATIONS CITIZENS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES ARE TREATED AS NON-NATIVE IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE NOT MEMBERS OF MY

NATION AND HAVE NO VIABLE CLAIM TO OUR LANDS HERE IN SENECA COUNTY.

THE CAYUGA NATION HAS A SOVEREIGN RIGHT TO SELF GOVERN. AND WE HAVE DONE JUST THAT. OUR MEMBERS HAVE SPOKEN, OVERWHELMINGLY, THAT THE 5 MAN COUNCIL REPRESENTING THE 5 CAYUGA CLANS IS WHO WE HAVE CHOSEN AS OUR LEADERS. WE HAVE SELECTED A FORM OF GOVERNANCE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW.

I ASK YOU TONIGHT, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE CAYUGA NATION HAS A RESERVATION AND THAT IT HAS NO LEADERSHIP DISPUTE.

THESE TWO IMPORTANT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BY THE BOARD WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR A FUTURE FROM WHICH WE ALL WOULD BENEFIT.

I WOULD ASK THAT THE BOARD ACKNOWLEDGE THESE TWO FACTS!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.

MY NAME IS BJ RADFORD. I AM THE CFO OF THE CAYUGA NATION. I BECAME A NATION EMPLOYEE IN 2003.

MANY TIMES I HAVE CONSIDERED ADDRESSING THIS BOARD, BUT WAS ONLY MOVED TO ACTUALLY DO SO TONIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE TOTAL FRUSTRATION AND GREAT SADNESS THAT I FEEL ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THIS COMMUNITY.

I AM NOT HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE NATION, I AM HERE TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF. I WOULD LIKE TO INSURE THAT EVERYONE HERE UNDERSTANDS THE CURRENT AND POTENTIALLY ESCALATING PERIL YOUR COMMUNITY NOW FACES.

I WILL NOT WASTE MY TIME OR YOURS REVIEWING HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. I AM VERY CLEAR THAT THE BLAME LAYS AT THE FEET OF ALL INVOLVED. THE CAYUGA NATION, THIS BOARD AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ALL PLAYED A ROLE IN GETTING US HERE.

INSTEAD I’D LIKE TO FOCUS ON WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT.

THERE ARE 13 HOMES, PURCHASED BY THE CAYUGA NATION, OCCUPIED BY SQUATTERS – CAYUGA NATION MEMBERS – WHO DO NOT PAY RENT. THEY HAVE NOT PAID RENT IN OVER 10 YEARS. THEY DON’T PAY THEIR WATER BILLS. THE CAYUGA NATION PAYS THEIR WATER BILLS. THEY CERTAINLY SHOULDN’T HAVE TO BUT THEY DO, BECAUSE THEY OWN THE PROPERTY. THIS IS A PROBLEM, THAT NEEDS SOLVING, AND I’M AT A LOSS TO FIND ANY REASONABLE PERSON WHO THINKS THERE IS JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR. IF ANYONE HERE IS A LANDLORD I’D LIKE TO KNOW HOW LONG YOU WOULD TOLERATE A NON-RENT PAYER? 10 YEARS? A SOLUTION IS NEEDED.

THE TWO PROPERTIES BEFORE YOU ARE WHAT I’D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.

THE FORMER COVILLE FARM WAS PURCHASED BY THE CAYUGA NATION IN 2010. THE PROPERTY CONSISTS OF A BRICK FARMHOUSE, A BARN AND 175 ACRES OF LAND.

+ HAS BEEN OCCUPIED BY A VARIETY OF DISSENTERS OVER THE YEARS

+ FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHES IT HAS BEEN OCCUPIED BY THE REDEYE FAMILY – TWO BROTHERS MARCUS AND BUCK AND THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE REDEYES ARE NOT ENROLLED MEMBERS OF THE CAYUGA NATION. THEY MOVED IN, PUT UP A ROADSIDE WIRE FENCE AND ERECTED CATTLE GATES AT THE ENDS OF BOTH DRIVEWAYS. I HAVE ENCLOSED PICS OF BOTH MEN TAKEN IN THE LAST WEEK. NOTE THE WEAPONS IN THEIR HANDS.

+ I HAVE ALSO INCLUDED A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE RECOUNTING THE SHOOTING THAT TOOK PLACE AT THE VARICK PROPERTY IN 2015. MARCUS WAS ONE OF THE SHOOTERS AND AS YOU CAN READ IS A CONVICTED

FELON. NOTE IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE ARTICLE HE USED A SHOTGUN.

+ I MENTION A SHOTGUN BECAUSE ON MAY 13, MARCUS APPROACHED A CAYUGA NATION EMPLOYEE WHILE HE WAS ON A TRACTOR FARMING THE LAND FAR BEHIND THE FARMHOUSE AND THREATENED HIM WITH A SHOTGUN. A REPORT WAS FILED AND NO ARREST WAS MADE.

+ ON JULY 22 THE REDEYES PITCHED A POPUP TENT AND OPENED BIG BUCK’S DISPENSARY IN THE PROPERTY’S FRONT YARD. LOTS OF ROAD SIGNS AND FLAGS FOLLOWED.

+ IN THE LAST WEEK BODY ARMOR, AUTOMATIC WEAPONS AND CLUBS HAVE ALL BEEN VISIBLE AT THE PROPERTY. NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

+ FIREWORKS, SPOTLIGHTING, UNSAFE DRIVING, LOUD NOISES AT NIGHT HAVE OCCURRED REGULARLY. NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.

+ THE LAST TWO PICTURES WERE TAKEN THIS MORNING. THEY ACTUALLY LOOK PRETTY GOOD. THE CROWDS AND BAD BEHAVIOR TYPICALLY DON’T START THIS EARLY IN THE DAY. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THE LANGUAGE ON THE WHITE SIGN “NO WARNING SHOTS FIRED NO

TRESPASSING 2ND AMENDMENT”. NICE ADDITION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

+ THIS OPERATION IS IN VIOLATION OF THE CAYUGA NATION BUSINESS ORDINANCE AND MANY TOWN OF SENECA FALLS ZONING LAWS.

+ I’VE BEEN TOLD BAYARD ST RESIDENTS FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES. I DON’T BLAME THEM. I IMAGINE THE EYESORE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD DOESN’T MAKE THEM HAPPY EITHER.

THIS PROPERTY IS NOT OWNED BY THE CAYUGA NATION. IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2014 BY THE JOHN FAMILY USING REVENUE EARNED ILLEGALLY BY OPERATING THE CAYUGA NATION’S STORE. THEY PUT THE DEED IN THE NAME OF THE CAYUGA NATION ENTERPRISES. THIS ENTITY HAS NO CONNECTION TO THE CAYUGA NATION.

+ THS HOUSE HAS BEEN OCCUPIED BY CARLIN SENECA, A CAYUGA NATION MEMBER AND SON OF WANDA JOHN, FOR YEARS.

+ I HAVE INCLUDED AN ARTICLE DATED JULY OF 2014 RECOUNTING THE EVENTS OF MAY 11 2014 WHEN CARLIN DROVE A VAN THROUGH THE FENCE AT THE NATION’S CIGARETTE FACTORY WHILE DRUNK, WITH A DRUNK MINOR IN HIS VEHICLE. AS A RESUL, HE TOO IS A CONVICTED FELON.

+ IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, HE DRAGGED A SHED INTO HIS FRONT YARD AND OPENED GRAMMA APPROVED SOVEREIGN TRADE, A WEED DISPENSARY.

+ I HAVE INCLUDED SOME PICTURES TAKEN OF THIS PROPERTY THIS MORNING. AGAIN, IT LOOKS IT’S BEST IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW PEOPLE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL.

+ THIS OPERATION IS IN VIOLATION OF THE CAYUGA NATION BUSINESS ORDINANCE AND SEVERAL TOWN OF SENECA FALLS ZONING LAWS.

+ ON FEBRUARY 2 CARLIN WENT TO THE HALFTOWN RESIDENCE AND THREW A CEMENT BLOCK THROUGH A CAR WINDSHIELD, RIPPED THE MAILBOX OUT OF THE GROUND AND THREW IT AT THE HOUSE. HE IS ON PRE- TRIAL RELEASE FOR THIS OFFENSE.

+ THIS PAST SATURDAY CARLIN WAS DRIVING A VEHICLE IN WHICH A PASSENGER THREW A WRENCH INTO THE BACK WINDSHIELD OF A CNPD VEHICLE, SHATTERING THE WINDOW.

+ THIS PAST SUNDAY CARLIN DROVE A VEHICLE THROUGH THE GAS PUMPS AT LAKESIDE TRADING STORE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION AND ATTEMPTED TO RUN OVER A CNPD OFFICER.

+ I BELIEVE THE WATER BILL DUE THE TOWN ON THIS PROPERTY IS IN EXCESS OF $6,000 DESPITE HIS PROMISE TO BRING HIS BALANCE CURRENT.

+ NO PROPERTY TAXES HAVE BEEN PAID ON THIS PROPERTY SINCE THE JOHN FAMILY TOOK OWNERSHIP. CURRENT TAXES IN ARREARS ARE OVER $60,000. THIS PROPERTY IS NOT PROTECTED BY SOVEREIGNTY. THE CAYUGA NATION HAS NOTIFIED THE TOWN AND COUNTY NUMEROUS TIMES OF THIS. WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN FORECLOSED ON?

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