NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Niagara Falls City Council voted no on granting landmark status to the "Turtle" on Wednesday night.
The "Turtle" is the former home of The Native American Center For The Living Arts. The center opened in 1981 as a place to exhibit the history and culture of our indigenous communities before closing in 1995. The three-story building has been vacant ever since. Those coming together to save the building in the heart of Downtown Niagara Falls were fighting for it to be designated as a local landmark.
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The vote brought some tears to community members who attended.
“Well that's one thing about our indigenous community, our native community we, unfortunately, become very good at surviving, our goal is to get back to thriving again,” says Michael Martin, executive director of Native American Community Services of Erie & Niagara counties. “This is one element of it, but it's not the only element and we’re going to do all we can to keep going on the next steps of this project and continue to do the good work we need for the help, hope and healing for our people and nothing's ever gonna stop us from doing that.”
Others expressed their devastation.
“We're used to the no’s never a yes, we’re used to it,” says Rhonda Martin.
Some say they were hoping the council would make a change for the better.
“Sadly they looked at economic development than the history of what that building represented,” Martin says. “At the end of the day, it's still the land that belongs to the Native American people.”
Some students who attended with “Save The Turtle” signs tell 7 News reporter Yoselin Person this vote isn’t going to stop them from embracing their heritage.
“It doesn't stop here, we have more things that we work towards. Because we don't have the building doesn't mean we are still gonna make our voices heard,” says 16-year-old Amelia Jacob.
There was one yes from one council member to landmark the "Turtle."
One abstained and three no's.
“I’m Gayogo̱hó:nǫ. I belong to the wolf clan. I’m Cayuga. From upstate New York those are my original homelands,” says Rhona Martin. “Yeah, I think the decision that they made was wrong.”
