Seneca Mothers Terminate Bolton-St. Johns Contract
On Saturday, April 9th, the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI) tribal council held a meeting that got a little out of hand. Tempers flared as the Seneca Mothers and supporters attended the council meeting in large numbers; demanding answers to some very important questions and catching the tribal councilors, along with Seneca President Matthew Pagels, off guard. The most explosive topic of the afternoon was a highly controversial contract between SNI and Albany lobbyist Bolton-St. Johns (BSJ).
Last Wednesday, after uncovering the aforementioned contract on the NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics database, we exposed said contract in an article investigating conflicts of interest surrounding the Seneca dispute. Please refer to this previous article for full context. Last Real Indians has confirmed that our investigation, combined with an email which revealed information about BSJ (circulated by a grassroots group); provided the Seneca Mothers with the knowledge that sparked Saturday’s incendiary council meeting. Prior to the meeting, the article was passed around to inform the people that their government had indeed entered into an extremely questionable agreement.
Flyer created by Seneca Mother Susan Abrams, handed out prior to Saturday’s council meeting
According to several members of the Seneca Mothers group: Shouting erupted, fingers were pointed and ultimately some big decisions were made. The Seneca Mothers demanded that their council representatives immediately discontinue all business with Bolton-St. Johns, former longtime lobbyist for Delaware North. The Seneca Mothers also demanded to know who was responsible for recommending Bolton St. Johns, giving that firm full legal power to lobby the negotiation of a new 2023 gaming compact with New York State.
The tribal council had no choice but to obey, responding to the Seneca Mothers’ powerful sentiments with an immediate vote; unanimously terminating the Bolton-St. Johns contract. Throughout the entire dispute between the Seneca Nation of Indians and New York State, the Seneca Mothers have been an unwavering force of nature; urging SNI representatives to await the findings of Deb Haaland’s federal investigation. Instead, SNI paid the state $564 million in a rushed decision, and now the Seneca Mothers are laser focused on achieving justice. Their fearlessness and ferocity is legendary among the Six Nations. At the council meeting, Seneca President Matthew Pagels banged his gavel loudly, attempting to control the energetic crowd as they shouted “Fire Michele!”
Last Real Indians interviewed former Seneca tribal councilor and Seneca Mother Susan Abrams. Says Abrams, “Michele Mitchell was asked why she failed to perform due diligence on that company [Bolton-St. Johns]. She wouldn’t reply. At council, the tribal members were incensed beyond belief. We demanded the immediate resignation of Michele Mitchell. The councilors walked her back into the council chambers and privately asked for her resignation. I followed behind them as they gathered secretly behind closed doors to debate firing Michele Mitchell. I admonished them for meeting in private; private matter, everyone should hear your debates. I don’t go to these meetings to tell the bad people what they’re doing - I go there to tell the good people what the bad people are doing.”
Michele Mitchell (Mohawk) is the head legal counsel for the Seneca Nation of Indians (until Monday when her resignation officially takes effect). Susan Abrams continues, “Michele has made some serious legal SNAFU’s. In December, she failed to appeal the federal determination regarding the dispute. This past Friday, she did not inform the council of our Nation’s ability to file a complaint regarding the release of funds.” Of the surmounting pressure which led to Mitchell’s forced resignation, Abrams added “I have never seen such a lack of decorum at council. It was pure mayhem.”
Susan Abrams continued, saying “As mothers of this nation, we are willing to fight for our rights to live freely, defend our sovereignty, protect our children, our families, and our future generations. Together we shall defend our sovereignty and our right to live in peace, enjoying our freedoms and our way of life against all intrusions; including sanctions most recently declared by New York State against the Seneca Nation and its people; we are not afraid to survive.”
The aforementioned sanctions came when New York State froze Seneca Nation bank accounts, resulting in the immediate payment of the $564 million; publicly resolving the five year standoff. Says Abrams, “Governor Kathy Hochul recently declared war on the Seneca Nation by sanctioning us. Right now, the United States and NATO are sanctioning Russia over the war in the Ukraine. These sanctions are an act of war.”
Another Seneca Mother expressed her thoughts on the situation, telling Last Real Indians “The council members sit up there above us, up on their pedestals. I think it’s time they come down to our level and we all sit in a circle, the way it’s meant to be.” Last Real Indians will continue to investigate this breaking story as it unfolds.
The now terminated Feb. 12th, 2022 contract between SNI and BSJ