A federal judge approved a major settlement between the Oneida Nation, the state of New York and two counties in New York.

The agreement resolves a wide range of land, taxation, jurisdiction, gaming and other issues. Most significantly, it requires the state, Oneida County and Madison County to drop a lawsuit that challenged the tribe's land-into-trust application.

The tribe will be able to move forward with the acquisition of about 13,000 acres of ancestral territory. That amount was included in a land-into-trust application that was approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The state and the counties agreed not to challenge the tribe's future applications, subject to certain conditions. In return, the tribe agreed to cap its acquisitions to about 25,370 acres.

The agreement also requires the two counties to drop foreclosure proceedings against the tribe. The case had been pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

“After years of investing in local communities and developing enterprises that sustain thousands of jobs, we are pleased that the state of New York has become a formal partner in our continuing efforts to strengthen this region’s economy and that we have settled all of our legal disputes between our peoples once and for all,” Ray Halbritter, the tribe's representative, said in a press release.

Some communities are still challenging the agreement in state court. And the settlement doesn't address lawsuits that other parties filed against the tribe's land-into-trust application.

Turtle Talk has posted the decision in the case, New York v. Jewell.

Get the Story:
Oneida Nation agreement finalized (The Utica Observer-Dispatch 3/5)
Court approves New York gaming deal with Oneidas, Cayugas win too (CNY Central New York 3/4)
Federal judge approves Oneida Indian Nation agreement with NY, Madison and Oneida counties (The Oneida Dispatch 3/4)
Sweeping Oneida Indian - New York settlement ratified by federal court (The Syracuse Post-Standard 3/4)
Federal Judge Gives Final Approval To Oneida Indian Nation Agreement (WIBX 3/4)

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Oneida Nation deal in New York still faces legal challenge (01/24)
Oneida Nation awaits court approval of deal in New York (1/14)
Second county approves land agreement with Oneida Nation (5/30)
Oneida Nation land agreement clears one vote in New York (5/29)
Editorial: A ground-breaking agreement with Oneida Nation (5/24)
Critics set for discussion on agreement with Oneida Nation (5/23)
Ray Halbritter: Gaming deal paves way to a brighter future (5/22)
Oneida Nation deal includes land-into-trust and tax provisions (5/21)