Cayuga

Cayuga can refer to several related subjects tied to central New York and to the Cayuga people. It is most often associated with the Cayuga Nation, a Native American people of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.

The Cayuga people are one of the six nations of the Haudenosaunee. Traditionally they inhabited the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in what is now central New York and played a role in the Iroquois political and military alliance. In the present day, the Cayuga Nation is a federally recognized tribe with governance and communities in New York state.

The Cayuga language is an Iroquoian language historically spoken by the Cayuga people. Like many Indigenous languages, it is endangered, with ongoing revitalization efforts in communities, schools, and language programs aimed at teaching younger generations and preserving cultural heritage.

Cayuga Lake is one of the Finger Lakes in central New York. It runs roughly northwest to southeast, about 38 miles long, and lies in Tompkins and Cayuga counties at the southern end near the city of Ithaca. Water from the lake flows north through the Cayuga River and is connected by the Cayuga-Seneca Canal to the Erie Canal, forming an important segment of New York’s waterway system.

Cayuga County is a county in upstate New York named for the Cayuga people. Its county seat is Auburn, and the county is part of the Finger Lakes region, featuring a mix of cities, towns, and rural communities.

Cayuga River is a river that flows from the northern end of Cayuga Lake northward to join the Seneca River near Montezuma, contributing to the region’s canal and waterway network.