Onondaga Nation territory is home to people who live according to their original instructions among the woods, waters, and hills of their ancestors. The Onondaga care for the land as a sovereign nation independent of the United States — including maintaining all the infrastructure and services that New York State provides to settler communities. That includes operating a highly trained volunteer Fire Department to respond to all fires and emergencies on the Nation’s land and to back up the volunteer fire departments in the surrounding settler communities.
As land returns to the Nation as a result of centuries of advocacy and relationship-building, the need for critical land care services like the Onondaga Nation Volunteer Fire Department only grows.
Fighting fires requires special training and equipment — and it’s expensive. In 2024 the Onondaga firefighters must raise $230,000 to cover ten protective suits that allow them to fight fires safely. Without any support from the state, feds, or county, Onondaga firefighters are relying on donations to meet this critical need.
There is an upcoming fundraising event November 20, you can see on our calendar here, with more information here on how you can support.
