IRVING AND SALAMANCA, NY – Tina Abrams made history Nov. 3, becoming the first woman elected President of the Seneca Nation since the Nation adopted a democratic form of government under its Constitution in 1848. Her victory led a sweep by the Seneca Party, whose candidates won every position on the ballot. Abrams, a longtime Seneca Nation leader and elected member of the Seneca Nation Council for more than two decades, will also lead an executive branch composed entirely of women for the first time in the Nation’s history.
“I am humbled,” said Abrams. “Seneca woman have sustained our culture and identity, and preserved our traditions throughout history. Tonight, at long last, a woman will now lead our Nation as President. This is a moment inspired by generations of strong Seneca women who came before me, and one that I hope inspires generations of Seneca women who come after me.”
The Seneca Nation, one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy, is a matrilineal society. Women were not permitted to vote or hold elected office for more than a century following adoption of the Nation’s Constitution. Seneca women gained the right to vote in Nation elections following a successful referendum in 1964 and secured the right to hold elected office a few years later.
Abrams received 1,040 votes in voting on the Nation’s Allegany and Cattaraugus territories. Nation members also elected Lenith Waterman Treasurer with 1,053 votes and Bethany Johnson Clerk with 1,041 votes. All three will serve two-year terms.
“The Seneca people did not go to the polls to elect a woman President today. We went to the polls to choose a President who can lead our Nation with strength, honesty, vision and conviction. That is my charge,” Abrams said. “Our people have given me a great responsibility. I will honor their trust by doing everything I possibly can to make sure that our Nation remains strong and that our sovereignty is always protected.”
Abrams, who will be sworn in next week, was first elected to the Seneca Nation Council in 2001 and became the first woman appointed as the legislative body’s Co-Chair in 2012. During her tenure, she has been involved in oversight of the Nation’s enterprises, relationships with Native organizations and advocacy on federal and state policies affecting Indian Country. In 2019, she was elected Northeast Region Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and later served on NCAI’s COVID Task Force.
Her community involvement has included serving as chairperson of the Seneca Nation’s annual Veteran’s Powwow and as a member of the Remember the Removal Committee, which recognizes the forced removal of hundreds of Seneca families from their ancestral homelands for construction of the Kinzua Dam. Earlier this year, New York State Senator George Borrello selected Abrams as the 2026 Woman of Distinction honoree for the 57th Senate District, making her the first Indigenous woman selected for the New York State Senate recognition. A member of the Seneca Nation’s Wolf Clan, Abrams was raised on the Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory and has lived on the Allegany Territory for more than 40 years.
The Seneca Party won all positions on the ballot, including eight seats on the 16-member Seneca Nation Council. Elected from the Allegany Territory were incumbent Councilor and former Seneca Nation President Maurice John, Sr., former Councilor William “Billy” Canella, Jody Clark and Teresa “Bunchie” Redeye. Elected from the Cattaraugus Territory were current Councilor and former President Todd Gates, former Councillors Ross John, Sr. and Presley Redeye, and Corbett Seneca. The newly elected Councillors will serve four-year terms and join incumbent Councillors Rickey Armstrong, Sr., Joshua Becker, Eliot Jimerson, Lisa Maybee, Klint Nephew, Christian Reiller, Kevin Seneca and Jonathan Williams.
“Throughout this year’s campaign, the Seneca people made it clear that our voice – the voice of the people – needed to heard by our leaders and within our government. Tonight, our voice was heard loud and clear across our territories and we made history,” said Scott Snyder, longtime Seneca Party Chairman from the Cattaraugus Territory. “The Seneca Party’s candidates, led by President-elect Abrams, along with our elected executive and Council candidates, will listen and restore the voice of the people. They are leaders our people can trust, and who can take on the important challenges that face our Nation. The voice of our community will be heard.”
