The village has been using native species when it replaces plants and trees during public construction projects. That includes the trees it will plant to replace ones removed during the village's ongoing Main Street enhancement project
And now, Fairport officials are discussing the possibility of installing signs with the plants' English name, and their Seneca language name. The idea was brought to the village board by one of its members, Emily Mischler. During a trip, she saw similar signs around a native plant garden near the University of Toronto.
"I just thought it was ... kind of a subtle way of bringing recognition to our history," Mischler said.
Village officials previously worked with representatives from the Seneca Nation to develop and adopt land acknowledgement. That's a formal recognition that the village sits on traditional Seneca land.
The signage, Mischler said, is a way to build upon the relationships that developed out of that process, and to increase awareness about the village's Native American history.
Mayor Julie Domaratz said board members liked the idea and are discussing things like materials and potential costs.
If the village moves forward with the signs, Domaratz said, it will start small, likely installing them near native plants Color Fairport Green plans to put outside the library.
