Seneca Nation Condemns Mayor's Remarks

SENECA NATION CATTARAUGUS TERRITORY, NY. - -- The Seneca Nation of Indians passed a Tribal Council Resolution condemning the recent derogatory and racial comments against the Nation and its membership.

Sponsored by Tribal Councillor J.C. Seneca, the resolution demands that Mayor Bloomberg resign his post as Mayor of New York City, provides a formal written apology to the Seneca Nation and its members, asks New York State Governor David Paterson to publically condemn Mayor Bloomberg's comments and authorizes Seneca President Barry Snyder to file human rights and hate crime violations with the State of New York, US Justice Department and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous People.

WHEREAS, On August 13, 2010, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg publically made disparaging statements regarding the Seneca Nation's Treaty protected tobacco economy; and

WHEREAS, In his remarks, Mayor Bloomberg's included derogatory racial statements, against the Seneca Nation and its members, including a statement encouraging Governor Paterson to, "[y]ou know, get yourself a cowboy hat and a shotgun" and to commence an armed occupation of the Nation's Cattaraugus Territory for the purpose of making a video of the Governor standing on the NYS Thruway with said cowboy hat and shotgun; and

WHEREAS, as recently as August 3rd of this year, Mayor Bloomberg stood before the Statue of Liberty and spoke of tolerance, respect and the defense of Constitutionally protected freedoms, in his support of the proposed Islamic Community Center and Mosque to be constructed at the site of Ground Zero; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Bloomberg's contradictory positions regarding the constitutional protections afforded to those involved in the Islamic Center and Mosque, vs. those afforded to the Nation and its members, are demonstrative of the continued ignorance of the Nation's own Constitutionally protected Treaties as the supreme law of the land, which provide the underlying protections for the Nation's tax immune status on which its economy is based; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Bloomberg's cavalier attitude and inflammatory remarks, by which he encourages armed conflict as a means for resolution, evidences tremendous disrespect to those Nation members and New York State Police officers who, to this day, bear the scars and trauma of the actual -- not hypothetical -- conflict that has twice occurred on the Nation's territory, is considered by the Council to be a hate crime and violation of human rights; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Bloomberg's hypocritical support of Constitutional protections, only when they don't impact the New York Citybudget, coupled with his uneducated and uninformed statements on the issue, serve to fan the flames of aggression, and undermine the potential for peaceful resolution of these matters, while perpetuating a long dormant policy of Indian termination which dates back to the days of General Custer's failed battle of Little Bighorn.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT

RESOLVED, based on the inflammatory and racially insensitive nature of Mayor Bloomberg's recent remarks against the Seneca Nation, its Treaties and its members, the Nation's Council hereby demands that Mr. Bloomberg resign his post as the Mayor of New York City effective immediately; and be it further

RESOLVED, that in lieu of resignation, the Nation will accept a formal written apology to the Nation and its members, which evidences the Mayor's tolerance and respect for the Nation's Treaties as the supreme law of the land, consistent with his stated position on the Constitutional protections afforded those individuals who have indicated their desire to construct the Islamic Center and Mosque at Ground Zero; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Seneca People call upon Governor Patterson to publically condemn and distance himself from Mayor Bloomberg and his comments; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Nation's President is authorized to file a complaint alleging a human rights violation and a hate crime with the New York City and New York State Human Rights Commissions, the United States Civil Rights Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples.