Tonawanda Reservation Historical Calendars

TRHS Calendar Statement

The Tonawanda Reservation Historical Society was formed in 1998 with the purpose of preserving and disseminating the history of the Tonawanda Seneca Indian Reservation for both their members, the generations yet to come, and for the education of non-indigenous peoples about our culture. To achieve this purpose, the Historical Society’s goals are to collect and preserve materials that pertain to both the History of the Tonawanda Reservation and its people; to record and document historically valuable information, and to make such materials available to researchers, the public, and for all Tonawanda Reservation members and their descendants. In addition, the Historical Society aims to sponsor exhibits, publications, and other projects in order to inform and educate the public about the History of the Tonawanda Reservation.

The Calendar Project at the Tonawanda Reservation is now over 20 years in the making with the sole gap year occurring in 2021 due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. In speaking with group members Gary Moses and Jeanne Taradena, the original idea is continuously attributed to member and Tonawanda Reservation resident, Paul Winnie. 

In the beginning, the Calendars were a method of sharing images with the public of life on the Tonawanda Reservation but recent years have seen the emergence of ‘themes’. The most recent example being the year 2024 as it is referred to as the Veterans Calendar that honors those that served in Vietnam to the present day. It is the goal that by further displaying these calendars that the public can learn about what life is like for those on the Tonawanda Reservation.