Darlene Miller

darlenemiller4848@gmail.com

Nya Weh Sge:no’ 

Greetings, I am Darlene Miller; I am honored to serve on the Repatriation Review Committee for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. I was selected as a Spiritual leader serving on the committee to ensure compliance to custom and tradition and policy and procedure according to the law. I am a member of the Hawk Clan--we have eight clans, birds and animals--and a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, Allegany Territory, which is located about 60 miles south of Buffalo, New York. The Seneca Nation has 8,000+ members and we are a matrilineal Nation.

I started my term and attended my first meeting May 2014; it is a pleasure and an honor to serve the Native American community as the Spiritual representative on this committee. I grew up on the territory learning all the customs and traditional way of life of the Seneca and Haudenasaune (people of the longhouse). I learned the ways of our people so I could share it with my community and family. I grew up in the era when gardening was a necessity, so we planted and preserved our harvest for the long winters, picked berries, and stored them. I enjoy gardening, golf, sewing traditional clothing, and making baskets, teaching anyone who wants to learn. I am a Faithkeeper in the Coldsping longhouse (handsome lake follower) for approximately 20 years, charged with the lifelong task of learning, knowing, understanding, providing direction on protocol, and passing on the traditional customs of the ceremonial protocol.

Professionally I have served in several pivotal positions in the Seneca Nation Health Systems, having served as the Acting CEO for the Health Systems and the Supervisor, Manager, and Advocate liaison to the Seneca Nation Council, as well as the Health Systems Controller, third party billing and contract health services. I served a four year term as an elected official for the Seneca Nation of Indians and was employed as Legislative Specialist. One specialty and passion was the oversight of the Health, Education and Welfare committee for the Seneca community. I served on many committees in my tenure, always advocating for the community and the youth in our community because they are the future leaders. I am currently a member of the advisory board for the Faithkeeper Nesting Program (tribal), a community representative for the Community Health Assessment committee. I am a past representative for the Seneca Nation and Health Systems with the United and Southeastern Tribes and National Congress of American Indians. I am a member of the Six Nations Agricultural Society and past vice president for the Allegany territory, and have served for a number of years. In May of 2014 I was nominated and selected for the Enduring Spirit Award. This is an award honoring women in leadership and the community. It was a great honor to be presented this award and I was the first to be honored east of the Mississippi.