Tag: Seneca Nation

Mayor Sean Ryan said Oct. 26 that Buffalo will continue litigation after a New York State Supreme Court ruling that did not grant emergency relief in the case over the Miami Street project. He said the city will also try to persuade the Seneca Nation the project is inappropriate for the land.

Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan can object to the Seneca Nation’s proposed development, but objection is not authority. The city cannot treat Seneca sovereignty as a zoning question it gets to settle unilaterally.

The City of Buffalo has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop construction of a proposed Seneca One Stop fuel depot in the Old First Ward. The city says the project began without required reviews and approvals, while the Seneca Nation says the land is sovereign territory.

Braiden McElhaney, an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation, urged renewed dialogue and respect for tribal sovereignty after the City of Buffalo filed suit to stop construction of the Nation’s One Stop project near Miami and Ohio streets.

Construction of a proposed Seneca One Stop near Ohio Street and Buffalo River Fest Park has triggered a dispute with Buffalo officials. The central question is how much authority the city has over land the Seneca Nation says is held in restricted fee and governed by tribal sovereignty.