For the first time in more than two centuries, Lancaster County officials will formally recognize the Conestoga-Susquehannock Tribe during a ceremony Sunday, Dec. 14, marking the 262nd anniversary of the Paxton Boys massacre.
County Commissioner Alice Yoder will join tribal leadership at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster. Organizers say the event aims to correct a long-standing historical narrative that the tribe was wiped out in 1763.
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It also acknowledges a documented record of survival and advocacy, including an 1845 land claim, an 1872 legislative petition and the 1941 Susquehannock Indian Reservation Bill. The bill passed the Pennsylvania Legislature without opposition but was later vetoed by Gov. Arthur James.
“For 262 years, history books insisted we were extinct, but the documents say otherwise,” Tribal Chairwoman Andrea Ligon said. “This Sunday, we are honored to stand with county leadership to remind the community we are still here — not as ghosts, but as neighbors and friends.”
Event details:
What: Official county recognition of the Conestoga-Susquehannock Tribe
When: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, at 1 p.m.
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster, 538 W. Chestnut St.
Speakers: Commissioner Alice Yoder, Tribal Chairwoman Andrea Ligon