New York Governor Kathy Hochul has filed two federal lawsuits challenging the protected status of properties owned by the Seneca Nation, escalating a growing dispute over tribal sovereignty and development in Western New York.
Filed against the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the lawsuits challenge federal decisions granting restricted-fee status to two properties: a site at Miami and Chicago streets in Buffalo, where the Nation is developing a gas station and cannabis dispensary, and a 207-acre property on Grand Island.
The state argues neither property qualifies for the protections under the Seneca Nation Settlement Act of 1990. Restricted-fee status limits state and local authority over taxation and land-use regulations.
Hochul says she respects tribal sovereignty but believes development must follow appropriate laws and oversight.
Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca condemned the lawsuits, calling them another attack on the Nation’s sovereignty and economic future.Â
The legal battle now moves to federal court.
