The Seneca Nation is a major player in New York's gaming industry but it almost didn't turn out that way.
In an advisory referendum 20 years ago this week, tribal members overwhelmingly voted against gaming. Many said it went went against Seneca traditions.
"As a Longhouse Indian, voting is not something we do," Karen Johnson told The Buffalo News i a May 13, 1994, story. "But I felt too strongly that our people, as a whole, would be jeopardized if the casino issue went through."
The final decision on gaming, however, rested with the tribal council. In 2002, the tribe signed a Class III gaming compact and the tribe now operates three Class III facilities.
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May 13, 1994: Seneca Nation voters reject casino gambling
(The Buffalo News 5/13)
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