Ganondagan: Seneca Arts & Cultural Center and Seneca Falls, NY

Victor, Canadagua, and Seneca Falls NY
March 24th 2018

Saturday morning the girls and I went for a day adventure. Barb had mentioned a trip to Victor NY to visit Ganongagan's new exhibit on Women. She is Native American and often shares her awareness of her culture with me. I was excited to visit the center and learn more for myself. Aimee went with us and we were set for a day of fun. 

We arrived just around 11 and watched a film on the importance of Native American women and the role they played on the suffrage movement in Seneca Falls. The unknown or at least the untold story of this important change in our government. The right to VOTE! What we were inform of was that Native American women have always played an important role in the decision making of the tribal community and it was this role that American women saw and implemented into their own lives.

 Once the video was complete we were lead into the Gallery and to the new exhibit where we were told of Hodinohso:ni; the women who fell from the sky. She is believed to be the beginning of all creation.



 We were told of her story. She had fallen from the "Heavens" as people had lived there before humans walked earth. The reason for her fall differs in the stories I have read, but the premise is the same. As she fell the animals saw her and allied to help, but there was no land for which she could live.

 A large turtle held her upon his back over the deep waters while the creatures went to the bottom to retrieve soil which the women using her feet (in a ceremonious way; which is still practiced in dance today) built up the land mass to support her. (picture taken from Barb Below)

According to our guide, she was pregnant at the time that she had fallen and soon a daughter was born. Her daughter grew and had many suitors (Animal-man) and she was chosen to Turtle-man. She was gifted with twin boys. (These young men had names, but "Flint"/ "Sprout" are the only one I remember). One was the right-Sprout and one was the left-Flint. Flint had insisted on exiting his mother through her arm (pit) which killed her. Her head was later placed in the sky as the moon by Sprout. Her body was placed in the ground and produced food.  (sculptures below were carved from the horns of an Elk. Amazing!)

Squash...

Bean...

Corn....

The twins grew to create the world. Flint created animals and rocks and all those things that make life less then wonderful, Sprout created all those things that are nice and good. And that is where time began according to the Women who fell from the Sky. (The shortened version with less awareness of the symbolism I am sure the story has. )

Our guide also alerted our attention to the role of Native Women vs Women of the earlier days in America.

Some of the beautiful artwork.

A cradle board was used to carry the infant on the mothers back.

The long house was an important part of the culture. All family members shared the long house of the mother's clan. If you as a male were asked to leave, you left the family, the children and the possessions.

The center has an exact replica of the long house but this was not open at our visit.

The land where the center sits was once where several hundreds of long house's stood, the symbol below was a piece found within the area soil.

Here is a map of NY and the native houses identified below. The Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora tribes speak Iroquoian. 

More art pieces...

Several artifacts found on the area grounds. Pipes were often used in rituals and each had a special meaning.

I had to get a picture of this "play" cradle board (used to practice) after telling the girls about my obsession with caring my paper papoose on my back when I was little. 

When I saw this drawing I had to get George Jr out to take a look.

Before leaving the center, we took in the grounds. They offer several trails, but despite the sun shining in the picture it was FRIGID cold outside and we decided against a hike. The (closed until May) long house in the background.

This plaque shares the story of Great Turtle Island where life began.

I found these metal sculptures interesting, what are they looking towards? Why does their faces look pained?

It was well after lunch when we finished with the
center so we headed off towards town. Realizing we were close to Canadaguia I suggested Crapes...
We found the eatery I was suggesting, Simply Crapes...YUM

Barb and Aimee had the buffalo chicken crape wrap, I had the "all you can eat" strawberry and chocolate. The most eaten I was told was 12. If I could eat more then that I would be awarded a $50- gift certificate. I could barely get through the first order. I did take home another entire order for breakfast the following day. They were yummy even left over....

Not ready to end the fun, we debated hitting up a few locations along the thruway. Del Lago casino? The outlet mall? Maybe some little quaint town? A wine tour? (Although Barb does not drink) There is a lot to do in the area, and we have committed to a future day trip to include the Stoneberg Gardens and Montazuma Wildlife.
Instead we headed to Seneca Falls to tie in the story of the Women's suffrage and tour the Women's rights National Park. Aimee had never been.

Although we did not take in the museum, we posed with the several bronze statues and spoke at the podium. 

I encouraged the ladies to pose with the National Parks cut outs. They willingly obliged. There was a program featuring Elizabeth Cady Statton, I tried to get Barb to pose with her, (A re-enacting character), but she was out the door.

Up next we visited the Welcome Center. I had never been here, so it was a treat. The visitor's center for Seneca Falls houses a museum as well. There were three floors of Seneca Falls History.

Of course there was the importance of influence around the women right to vote.


But another claim to Seneca Falls fame is that Seneca Falls is the town based on the movie Its a Wonderful Life.


Apparently the town offers a weekend in December dedicated to this claim to fame. I am excited to consider a visit later this year.

There was also quite a lot of industry that was developed in the area.

Barb and Aimee posed in the classroom area and hands on exhibits.

We also had an amazing view of the Erie Canal.


We stopped at a cute little shop where I found a ton of great gift ideas before we made our way back to the car and headed home. I made it back to my house just in time to get an invite to dinner with the husband and my mother in law. I guess those left over crapes will be tomorrow nights dinner.

Dinner at Santangello's was so yummy. So much for my NO MORE FAT plan. Who could resist Italian for dinner and this place has it all right. SO GOOD!!!!!

An incredible Saturday I must say. Now on to the next adventure. TTFN!