Prior to serving as First Councilperson on the Business Committee, Cynthia Donohue Bauer served on both the Election Committee and the Claims Committee (now known as the Welfare Committee). But many know her as a special education teacher of 25 years. In November 2021, Mrs. Bauer made the decision to end her distinguished teaching career and focus solely on helping her tribe. Inspired by the recent McGirt ruling that gives Tribes more legal sovereignty, she is also using her free time to earn a master’s degree in Indigenous Peoples Law.

One accomplishment she is particularly proud of is her role in establishing a functioning Welfare Committee as called for in our Nation’s constitution. “We’ve been helping people collect their social services benefits ever since.” As a mother of five, she understands just how vital these benefits can be, especially for children. “If they need glasses, they get glasses… if they need help from their tribal family, we are here to do that.”

During these exciting times, Mrs. Bauer is honored to serve on the Business Committee. Thanks to funds obtained through ARPA and the CARES Act, the Seneca-Cayuga Nation has a unique opportunity to bring about real economic change. With economic growth comes a need for more tribal employees. She wants people to know that, “we’re here to help. To provide a good job for you, and secure a home for you and your family.”

Inspired by her mother’s own involvement, the First Councilperson has always had an interest in tribal matters. Seeing her young mother deliver an impassioned speech at a housing authority meeting had a profound impact on her—instilling a lifetime of pride and gratitude for her tribe. “By birth I was given not just a family, but a community that works together for the betterment of all… The Tribe is my culture, my church, and my family.”

As her own children come of age, Mrs. Bauer looks forward to their involvement and growth in the political and cultural processes of the Tribe as well. She is a firm believer that, “we all have a voice, and we all need to be involved.”

This enthusiasm for the involvement of our children—the future leaders of our tribe—ties in with plans for a future learning center. Mrs. Bauer envisions the new learning center as a place where kids of all ages can go before and after school to receive any help they need with school work. This could include courses in farming and gardening, sustainable food practices meant to improve the health of our nation and eliminate food insecurities.

Mrs. Bauer is excited about the future of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. She believes, “if we all work together, all have the same vision, and remain true to our tribe and our families, then we can parlay this [momentum] into success for as long as I can see. But we’ve got to work together… If we work together we can do anything we want.”