WEST SENECA — Seneca Nation leaders gathered Friday with local officials and neighbors to commemorate the importance of the Buffalo Creek Treaty of 1842, which forever shaped the history of both the Seneca Nation and Western New York.
The treaty restored Seneca possession of the Nation’s Cattaraugus and Allegany territories after an earlier, manipulated treaty attempted to stake claim to all Seneca lands and relocate the Seneca people to present-day Kansas.
The annual event took place at the Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center in West Seneca, which stands in the vicinity of where the historic agreement between the Seneca Nation and the United States was signed.
“At Buffalo Creek, our ancestors preserved our sovereignty and changed the history of Western New York,” said Nation President J. Conrad Seneca. “Thanks to their steadfast determination, we are still here more than 180 years after the government tried to remove us, and we continue to impact every facet of life in this region. This area is forever Seneca.”
The Seneca Nation has made countless contributions to the history, culture and economy of Western New York, and today stands as one of the region’s most significant economic engines. Between its gaming enterprises, other businesses and government operations, the Seneca Nation provides an economic impact to Western New York of more than $1 billion annually, providing thousands of direct jobs and supporting thousands of others through business relationships with a wide network of vendors, suppliers and contractors locally and across New York State.
The Buffalo Creek Treaty of 1842 further affirmed that the Seneca Nation would never be subject to taxation on Indian-owned lands. Article 9 of the Treaty states that the U.S. agrees to “protect such lands of the Senecas within the state of New York as may from time to time remain in their possession from all taxes, and assessments for roads, highways and other purpose until such lands shall be sold and conveyed by said Indians and possession thereof shall be relinquished by them.”
Today, the Seneca Nation consists of several distinct territories, including the Allegany Territory, 31,095 acres along the Ohi:yo’ (Allegheny River), including the city of Salamanca; the Cattaraugus Territory, 22,011 acres of land along Cattaraugus Creek near Lake Erie; the Oil Spring Territory, one square mile in Cuba; the Niagara Territory, 50 acres of land in downtown Niagara Falls, where Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is located; the Buffalo Creek Territory, nine acres of land in downtown Buffalo, where Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino is located; ancestral land on Skillen Street in Buffalo, site of the Buffalo Creek Community Center; and Todiakton, 1.8 acres of land in the Town of Caledonia.
“We have faced attempts throughout history to take our lands, to physically remove our people, and to completely erase our culture and existence. Each challenge has strengthened our resolve and our resilience,” Seneca added. “That is why we return here every year, to remind our neighbors who we are, and to take nourishment from the lessons and example of our ancestors so the Seneca Nation and our people will keep growing stronger, forever.”
This year’s commemoration comes just days after Seneca leaders met with members of the state Senate’s State-Native Relations Subcommittee in Albany, and the full Senate’s unanimously approval of a resolution acknowledging New York’s role in the operation and atrocities that occurred at the Thomas Indian School, which operated on the Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory for nearly a century.
Seneca Nation welcomed Gov. Kathy Hochul for a visit to the Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory on Tuesday to officially apologize to offer an official apology on behalf of the state.
“We have to continually educate our neighbors and other governments on our Nation’s history, culture, and impact,” Seneca said. “We cannot let them forget. Our path forward has to be rooted in an understanding of our history.”
