The Seneca people, belonging to the Iroquoian linguistic group, have historically inhabited the area to the south of Lake Ontario, which is among the vast expanse of the five Great Lakes in North America.

The Seneca people, belonging to the Iroquoian linguistic group, have historically inhabited the area to the south of Lake Ontario, which is among the vast expanse of the five Great Lakes in North America. This group was notably positioned as the most westerly nation of the Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee, which includes the Six Nations, particularly in the region now known as New York State, before the turmoil of the American Revolution.

According to the rich oral traditions preserved by the Seneca, their ancestral beginnings trace back to a village named Nundawao. This village was situated near the southern extremity of Canandaigua Lake, at a place known as South Hill. In close proximity to South Hill is the notable Bare Hill, or Genundowa in the Seneca language, an imposing natural formation that stands 865 feet (or about 264 meters) tall. This hill holds a special place in Seneca history and lore, being the site of an ancient fortification attributed to either the Seneca people or their ancestors.

Bare Hill, with its significant historical and cultural value, is encompassed within the Bare Hill Unique Area, an expanse of land that the state began to formally protect in 1989, acknowledging its importance to both the natural landscape and the cultural heritage of the Seneca people. This land, intertwined with the history of the Seneca nation, narrates a story of a people deeply connected to their environment and traditions. The account of Ah-Weh-Eyu (Pretty Flower) in the year 1908 is a testament to the enduring legacy and the spiritual connection of the Seneca people with their ancestral lands, highlighting their resilience and the rich tapestry of their cultural narrative.

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