Historic Athlete’s Jacket To Be Returned To Senecas
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SALAMANCA - After several decades, another item belonging to a notable Seneca individual will finally be returned to Seneca Nation territory.
Nation officials announced that a leather jacket that once belonged to Lewis "Deerfoot" Bennett, a Seneca who gained worldwide prominence as a competitive runner in the mid-1800s, will be returned to the Nation during a special gifting ceremony at the Onohsagwe:de' Cultural Center on the Allegany Territory on Friday at 11 a.m. The jacket had been in the possession of the Gowanda Area Historical Society since the early 1980s, when it was gifted to them by Sadie Bennett.
"Deerfoot Bennett is a legendary Seneca athlete, who astonished people around the world with is speed," said Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong, Sr. "We are grateful that, more than a century after his passing, the Seneca people will again have the opportunity to recognize him in this special way, as we accept this gift from our friends in Gowanda, and bring this important connection to Deerfoot home to Seneca territory."
Bennett, a member of the Snipe clan, was born in 1830. He first gained attention in 1856, when he won a local race by running five miles in exactly 25 minutes. From there, he continued to run in races from Buffalo to Boston, and caught the eye of notable race promoter George Martin, who booked Bennett on a 20-month European tour from 1861-1863.
Competing against the best British and Irish runners, Bennett set multiple world records, running ten miles in 51:26, and 12 miles in 1:02:02. After returning to America, Bennett raced primarily in Western New York, New York City, and Boston. In 1868, he won a five-mile race in Buffalo in 24:15, after giving his competitors a quarter-mile head start. He continued to race competitively until 1870, when he ran his last competitive race in Montreal at the age of 40.
After he finished his competitive racing days, Bennett continued to run exhibition races at various agricultural fairs and events on the territories of the Haudenosaunee. He lived the remainder of his life on the Seneca Nation's Cattaraugus Territory. Bennett passed away in 1896, and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, where many local runners pause by his grave. He was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
The jacket being returned to the Nation is made of animal hide, has a long fringe, and is decorated with quillwork on the front. It will join a beaded headband that belonged to Bennett, which the Onohsagwe:de' Cultural Center already has in its possession. Both items will be on display at the October 20 gifting ceremony. The public is invited to attend.
Deerfoot Bennett's jacket is the latest notable item to be gifted and returned to the Seneca Nation in recent years. In 2019, a pipe tomahawk given to respected Seneca leader and diplomat Cornplanter by George Washington was gifted to the Nation for display by the New York State Museum. The tomahawk was officially repatriated to the Nation in 2020. In 2021, the Red Jacket Peace Medal, given to the historic Seneca leader by George Washington in 1792, was repatriated to the Nation by the Buffalo History Museum.
Measuring 33,000 square feet, the Onohsagwe:de' Cultural Center is inspired by Native oral history and designed to guide and immerse visitors throughout with a variety of exhibits, collections, artifacts, educational programs and special events. The center is open seven days a week. For information, call 716-945-1760.