Nation PROJECTS

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Aid - Completed. $5,231,000 distributed to tribal members to offset the financial burden brought on by COVID-19

All monthly Business Committee meetings will be held on the first Tuesday of every month at 6:00pm, unless otherwise posted. These meetings will be held at the New AOA located on the North end of the tribal complex. The Old AOA/ACC Building is currently under renovation and will be the future home of the “Cultural Preservation” department.

We are preparing for the implementation of the One Tribe software that will be Nationwide. This will be an all-inclusive database of the SCN which, when complete, will be utilized by all departments.

Water and Sanitation upgrade Project - The Nation is working on upgrading the water and sanitation services that the Nation provides for the surrounding area. This will ensure clean water and provide for future demands.

New Childcare Facility - The Nation has received a grant through the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) to build a new child care facility. The project is in the preliminary stages at this time, but more information will be coming.

Seneca-Cayuga Nation Holiday Market

We are looking for Tribal Members that are small business owners and crafters to join our online Holiday Market Event!

Requested Items Include: shawls, skirts, ribbon shirts, moccasins, dreamcatchers, wampum belt replicas, other beadwork, cooking vessels/utensils, heirloom/traditional seeds, jewelry, children’s books, and more!

This will be a Facebook event that will run 11/15/21 - 12/10/21. You will be able to post your items, add pictures, and videos.

If you are interested in showcasing your items or business contact Kim Guyett - kguyett@sctribe.com

Housing Department: Benefits are Available

NAHASDA Program consists of Rehabilitation and Modernization:

The Seneca-Cayuga Nation Housing Program is designed to provide rehabilitation services for privately owned homes for low-income Native American tribal members. *Radius and Income restrictions apply.

NAHASDA Rental/Emergency Assistance:

Assists eligible Seneca-Cayuga Nation tribal households that are unable to pay rent, mortgage, and utilities (electric, water, gas). This is a federally funded program, and a tribal member must live within a 50-mile radius of the tribal headquarters and must be low-income.

NAHASDA Down Payment Assistance:

Assists eligible Seneca-Cayuga Nation tribal members for homeownership within a 50-mile radius of our headquarters. This is a federally funded program, and a tribal member must live within a 50-mile radius of the tribal headquarters and must be low-income.

LIHEAP Assistance:

Assist with Utilities (electric, gas, wood, propane). We also have space heaters, room heaters, and Heat/ air window units available. This is a federally funded program, and a tribal member must live within a 50-mile radius of the tribal headquarters and must be lowincome.

Seneca-Cayuga Nation Indian Child Welfare: Foster Care Homes Needed

Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP):

Assists eligible Seneca-Cayuga Nation tribal households that are unable to pay rent and utilities (electric, water, gas, sewer, trash removal) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ERAP can assist eligible households with rental arrears, utility arrears, current rental payments, and current utility payments. Telecommunication services (telephone, cable, Internet) delivered to the rental dwelling are not considered to be utilities. This program is only available to rental households and does not apply to households with a mortgage or who currently own their home. This program is limited to one tribal member per household. Payments will be made directly to the landlord or utility company. This is a federally funded program, and a tribal member must live within a 50-mile radius of the tribal headquarters and must be low-income.

Seneca-Cayuga Nation Indian Child Welfare is funded through Self-Governance and provides services to Seneca-Cayuga Nation children and families that support the Indian Welfare Act. We currently assist children involved in at-risk, abuse, and neglect cases.

Vision Statement

The goal of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation Social Services Department is to promote the well-being for all Seneca-Cayuga Nation Tribal families and children. The Seneca-Cayuga Nation Indian Child Welfare Department places special emphasis on children designated being at risk, as well as the promotion of foster and adoptive families. It also provides services to enrolled and eligible tribal members nationwide when involved in an ICWA case.

Foster Care

Our Nation is in need of foster homes for our children! Every year, a quarter of a million children come into foster care in this country. Many of them will be placed in group homes or other group residential settings because there are simply not enough foster families to care for all the children.

Foster parents play a critical role in helping children heal. They show children stability and teach them life lessons that last a lifetime—and potentially affect future generations. Foster parents are the backbone of the ICWA. Without strong foster homes, our department wouldn’t go smoothly.

Contact

Housing Committee members include:

Amy Nuckolls

Nikan Cary

Carrie Mott Campbell

Michelle Morris-Housing Director

Dennis Sisco-Executive Director

For more information: Contact Kimberly Keller ICW director, at 918-787-5452 Ext.# 6054 Email: kkeller@sctribe.com

In the event of a child welfare emergency, contact 911 or the child abuse hotline in the state where the child(ren) resides.

Enrollment Committee News

Members: Kim Guyett, Logan Line, John Birkes, Terry Whitetree, Joanne Edwards, Mary Coleman, Kathryn Schafer, Vestena Emerson, Roberta Smith, and Ray Rodgers.

Since the 2021 General Council meeting, the Enrollment Committee has been meeting regularly, and below are some highlights of what we are working on.

• Updated procedures for receiving/processing enrollment applications to increase accuracy and efficiency.

• Regularly reviewing and approving new enrollment applications for GC approval June 2022.

• Preparing for software changes to be implemented by the Nation

• Preparing for the upcoming 2022 elections and General Council