Native American Services and Curriculum

✨ Prospect Students Help Bring Ganӧ:nyӧk to Life! 🎨🍁

Students at Prospect helped Seneca Culture Teacher Mrs. White paint this mural during her class while learning about Ganӧ:nyӧk, the Thanksgiving Address. Leeora White was asked by the Seneca Salamanca Chambers of Commerce in partnership with the Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board to create a community mural for the City of Salamanca along with other artist in hopes of creating more murals in our community. 

Mrs. White was already introducing students to Ganӧ:nyӧk when this project was presented to her and right away she knew she wanted the mural to encompass every element of the Thanksgiving Address for students to identify. The mural was created on 9 separate panels so Mrs. White was able to bring 2 panels to Prospect to have students work on them with her. Students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade help create the autumn maple tree. Students in 2nd and 3rd grade help create stars in the night sky.

 Mrs. White's hope with this community mural is to inspire an attitude of gratitude throughout our community, and always remember there is so much to be thankful for in our every day lives. The mural is located on Main Street in downtown Salamanca and assembled on the Antique Mall. Students were very excited and thankful to be apart of this project. 

Honoring Heritage: Hiawatha Belt Flag Flies High at SHS
Salamanca Students Celebrate Native American Heritage Month

In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, the Salamanca Student Activists and Indigenous Youth Council are proudly flying the Hiawatha Belt Flag on the student flagpole throughout the month of November.

The Six Nations Confederacy Belt, also known as the Hiawatha Belt, is a powerful symbol of unity and peace. It represents the original five nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy — the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca — united under the Tree of Peace.

According to Haudenosaunee teachings, a man known as the Peacemaker brought these warring nations together, urging them to bury their weapons beneath the Tree of Peace. This act established a lasting foundation of strength, unity, and mutual respect among the nations — values that continue to inspire communities today.

As the Hiawatha Belt Flag waves above SHS, it serves as a reminder of the enduring spirit of peace and cooperation that lies at the heart of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.