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JULY 12, 2000

US District Judge Neal P McCurn has allowed state witness Alexander von Gernet, an anthropology professor at the University of Toronto, to testify in the land claims settlement case of the Cayuga Nation.

The US Department of Justice intervened on behalf of the tribe, asking the court not to allow von Gernet to testify on fairness of the money received by the tribe for their land, historical facts related to the tribes' delay in filing their lawsuit, and whether the state acted in good faith with the tribe.

The professor's is expected to testify on the areas which may result in an unfavorable ruling against the tribe, who won $36.9 million in damages by a jury in February over their claim on 64,027 acres in Cayuga and Seneca counties. His testimony will come in a second, jury-less trial, during which McCurn will decide if interest should be added to the tribe's settlement.

McCurn is also presiding judge over the Oneida Nation land claims, which will head back to court with the failure of settlement talks. He still has to rule on another Justice Department motion in that case--whether or not to add 20,000 landowners to a lawsuit.

Get the Story:
Treatment of Cayugas at issue as trial nears (The Albany Times-Union 7/12)
Land Claim Witness Allowed to Testify (The Syracuse Newspapers 7/11)
Judge allows land claim witness to testify (AP 7/11)