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Seneca Nation defends land buys in Buffalo
Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Seneca Nation of New York says buying multi-million dollar properties in Buffalo for as little as $1 doesn't go against the tribe's land claim settlement act

Seneca President Barry E. Snyder Sr. issued a statement on Friday in response to stories by The Buffalo News that detailed the purchases. Snyder said the deals comply with the Seneca Settlement Act of 1990, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and the tribe's gaming compact.

The 1990 act authorized $30 million for land buys. Under a Section 20 exemption in IGRA, that means the tribe can engage in gaming on newly acquired lands so long as the settlement funds are used.

By buying land for as little as $1, the tribe could be trying to ensure that it can seek an IGRA exception. But Snyder didn't fully clarify the tribe's intents, the paper said.

In hopes of gaining clarity, Rep. Brian M. Higgins (D-New York) wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton and plans to meet with Snyder this week to discuss the issue.

Get the Story:
Senecas insist land buys comply with law (The Buffalo News 2/18)

Relevant Links:
Seneca Nation - http://www.sni.org

Related Stories:
Congressman seeks review of Seneca land buys (2/17)
Seneca Nation buys land in Buffalo for at little as $1 (2/13)
NIGC wants tribes to certify legality of casino sites (02/09)
BIA takes stab at off-reservation gaming regulations (02/01)
IGRA amendments tough on many, especially tribes (12/12)

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