Seneca-Cayuga Mother Shares Her Culture

For Middleton Elementary School (MES) students, this year’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day was a day of vibrant, living history. Emily Brewer, mother of a MES third-grader and 2 Lake Middle School students, is a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. Brewer visited MES to share the rich traditions of her people.

She began by teaching the students a few words in the Gayogóho:nǫ' (Cayuga) language. The children learned the phrase “Nya:wëh sgë:nö'” (pronounced Nya-wenh sgeh-nuh). Brewer explained that “Nya:wëh” is the common word for "thank you” and that “sgë:nö' means "it is good." Together, they carry the meaning of "I hope you are well".

“It’s so important for children to see that Native American cultures aren’t just something in the past,” Brewer explained. “We are still here and our traditions are alive and beautiful.”

Brewer then spoke about longhouses, cultural stories and the 13 animal clans that make up the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. 

The lesson truly came to life when Brewer invited the students to their feet. "Many of our dances tell stories about the world around us," she said. "The Duck Dance is a social dance that imitates the way ducks move on the water and land."

She formed a circle with the children, showing them the gentle, bobbing steps and the playful, swooping motions that mimic a duck dipping its bill into the water. Giggles filled the room as the class transformed into a flock of ducks, shuffling and stepping together in a joyful circle. 

“Having Ms. Brewer here gave our students a deeper connection to what they learned today,” said Principal Jenna Downs. “The best way to learn about a culture is from the heart of its community.”

As the students prepared to leave, they all repeated the word they had learned earlier, Nyá:wën.