Seneca Nation highlighted in public wall art at new Highmark Stadium

Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - The public wall art on display all across the new Highmark Stadium is intended for more than just the celebration of Buffalo Bills spirit. Some of the art carries much more significance to the region and the people living across Western New York.

One piece of public wall art in the 300 level is meant to inform and educate fans and others attending Bills games and events at the new stadium about the Seneca Nation, on whose ancestral lands the stadium is built. The display depicts elements of Seneca culture and history, and was created as part of the stadium construction process by artist Caleb Abrams.

Abrams says the piece was created with a focus on what he wanted those viewing it to take away with them.

"The main thing I wanted to communicate through this piece is how vital and thriving we are today as a people," said Abrams when describing the artwork Tuesday in Orchard Park.

"Something that I always say in my work as an artist, as a filmmaker is I really think that understanding that we strive for is only possible through education, and education is an act of sharing. And I think that's what we are doing here: Sharing a bit about our culture, a bit about who we are. And just letting know fans know a bit more about the original inhabitants of this region and our connection to this place."

Raised on the Seneca Nation's Allegany Territory, Abrams' work pushes back against settler-colonial narratives of place and power, while creating space for Indigenous stories of truth, community and connectedness.

Abrams also worked with the stadium's design team on other elements, including language used in the Family Circle history timeline display outside the stadium, helping to amplify the Indigenous voice and presence in the display panels.

The projects build on the longstanding partnership between the Bills and Seneca Resorts and Casinos.

"Our leadership wanted to have a place in the stadium where guests, where fans could come and learn about the Seneca Nation, about the Haudenosaunee. And I was really excited by the opportunity because I believed in the mission, I believed in the goal that with so many fans, so many people coming to the stadium, this was a real opportunity to meet people where they were and share a little bit about our history, our identity, our geography today," Abrams said.