Native Issues

(02/14/12) A state Senator from Western New York was back at work at the state capitol yesterday, following an incident over the weekend at the Seneca Nation Casino in Niagara Falls where he and his wife were involved in a fight. The fight broke out after a diabetes fundraiser at the Casino. Martha Foley has more. more

(02/13/12) The U.S. government supports renewable energy with money for research and tax breaks. But as the Innovation Trail's Matt Richmond reports, that backing has come under political fire, and the industry is already feeling the effects. more

(01/23/12) Gov. Andrew Cuomo has released a bill to amend the state's constitution to legalize non-Native casino gambling in New York. more

(01/13/12) One of the main planks in Governor Cuomo's State of the State address was the legalization of casinos in New York. Expanding gaming to non-Native casinos would require an amendment to the state Constitution. That's a long political process, and could add to the mix of lobbying money flowing into Albany. The Innovation Trail's Matt Richmond reports. more

(12/26/11) Last week, the Vatican declared that a Washington state boy's recovery from a deadly and debilitating illness was a miracle. The Pope signed documents attributing 11-year-old Jake Finkbonner's survival to the intercession of Kateri Tekakwitha. She was a 17th century Mohawk woman who lived in what is now Upstate New York and who converted to Catholicism.

The Pope's decision moves Kateri one step closer to full sainthood. Last week, Bishop Terry LaValley, head of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, issued a statement saying "we eagerly await that day when the church declares that she is numbered among the saints in heaven."

Back in April, NPR's religion corrrespondent, Barbara Bradley-Hagerty, examined the process by which the Vatican decides which miracles are authentic.

(12/05/11) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new jobs plan over the weekend. It centers on expanding gaming, and could mean a casino in the catskills, tax credits, and other initiatives.

The plan could be the centerpiece of Gov. Cuomo's second year in office, or it could be presented at a special session of the legislature to be held as early as this week.

The Assembly is coming back to Albany tomorrow for an afternoon conference, and possibly a special session.

In Albany, Karen DeWitt has the details.

(08/12/11) At the Akwesasne Freedom School on the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation near Massena, kids spend their whole day, including recess, completely immersed in the Mohawk language. Nora Flaherty has more. more

(08/11/11) Employment numbers aren't good in western New York. But the Seneca Nation is bucking the trend. The Nation is working fast to fill jobs, especially those calling for highly-skilled workers.

There are enough jobs that the Senecas are looking outside of their own community to fill those positions. Case in point: Seneca Niagara Casino. The Innovation Trail's Daniel Robison reports.

Support for the Innovation Trail comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Innovation Trail is a collaboration between five upstate public media outlets, reporting about New York's innovation economy. more

(08/11/11) Seneca Nation president Robert Odawi Porter is using an historic piece of cloth to deliver a message to New York State about native sovereignty. He said payment of the cloth and a small sum according to an 18th century treaty symbolizes native nations' freedom from state taxation and right to land.

The history lesson came on the same day that Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he is considering legalizing gambling in New York. That would have a profound effect on native nations and tribes around the state who rely on their casinos for revenue. Martha Foley and Dave Bullard report.

(08/10/11) Two years after New York State prison officials closed Camp Gabriels, a Mohawk writer and activist wants to reopen the Adirondack facility as an education center and accredited campus with ties to Syracuse University.

Doug George announced last week at a meeting in Ticonderoga that he is working with Native American leaders, state officials and with other educators to develop the program. He hopes to attract students interested in learning about Native culture, language and heritage.

As Brian Mann reports, the proposal has been on the drawing board for more than a year. But key questions remain. more