In the days following a joint letter authored by Seneca County officials including Sheriff Tim Luce, District Attorney Mark Sinkiewicz and Seneca Falls Chief of Police Stuart Peenstra, the town of Enfield has stopped pursuing the passage of another Cayuga Nation-related resolution.
Last month, the town of Enfield unanimously passed a resolution to send a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs on behalf of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ’ Cayuga faction. Afterward, Councilperson Robert Lynch read a different resolution for the first time while introducing it during their November meeting.
Lynch recently notified FingerLakes1.com in an email that his resolution is no longer on the docket ahead of their next monthly meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8.
He believed: “Seneca County law enforcement officials, including its District Attorney Mark Sinkiewicz, stand unduly compromised, conflicted, disinterested or unwilling to perform their own sworn, official responsibilities in upholding the law to protect property rights and public safety affecting either Indigenous or non-Indigenous residents in this matter.”
Lynch also revealed that Sinkiewicz admitted that he never pursued a grand jury inquiry relating to the demolition of Nation-owned properties that transpired in February 2020, prompting him to ask Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the situation in Seneca County.
The resolution’s language received backing from Charles Bowman, a Fayette resident currently battling against a criminal prosecution within the county.
The status of Lynch’s strongly-worded resolution remains in limbo, suggesting to table any consideration of the measure until January. It may be “even abandoned altogether,” according to Lynch.
One unnamed elected official among the five-member town board has already expressed opposition prior to the proposed resolution’s arrival before the entire voting body.
In October, the Seneca County Board of Supervisors passed a similar motion, eventually mailing a letter to the Attorney General’s office.
Gabe covered health and indigenous affairs in the Finger Lakes between 2019 and 2022. His award winning coverage was cited by the federal government and provided residents with an invaluable service during the coronavirus pandemic.