Sachem Sam George is one of ten Sachems (chiefs) for the Cayuga Nation, representing the Bear Clan. He was condoled in April 2005. Having grown up on Seneca Nation territory (Cattaraugus) and having learned the Seneca language and customs, Sachem George sought out to learn his Cayuga heritage.
The Haudenosaunee people are a matriarchal society, his mother Cayuga, he knew it was important to learn what it meant to be Cayuga. When he moved back to his homeland in 2014, as one of the first important tasks, he oversaw the building of the Cayuga School House, modeled after a contemporary longhouse. Sachem George has participated, along with the other returning Cayugas, in learning his language and ceremonies. He is taking that knowledge and wisdom to ensure a good future for his people.
Sachem George sits on the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force addressing environmental degradation in Haudenosaunee communities by developing culturally appropriate environmental education, restoration, and protection strategies. He is a member of the Haudenosaunee External Relations Committee, which works on political and governmental structures beyond the borders of the Haudenosaunee Nations. Sachem George is on the Elders Council for Native Community Services for Buffalo and Niagara Falls. In 2019, he was awarded the Bundled Arrow Award for his service to Native American communities. Sachem George has felt it important to be good neighbors and promotes the Great Law which is created and maintained by the Good Mind – a mind that is both “used well” and “used for good,” since one will inevitably lead to the other. Sachem Sam George lives with his wife in Union Springs, Cayuga Territory. He has two sons, a daughter, and three grandchildren that live in the greater Buffalo area.