New York Gov. George Pataki (R) says he agreed to settle land claims with out-of-state tribes because dealing solely with the Oneida Nation "proved completely unreasonable," The Syracuse Post-Standard reports.

For several years, Pataki exclusively negotiated with the Oneida Nation to settle the 250,000-acre land claim. He said many times that out-of-state tribes had no rights in New York.

But now he says that he had an obligation to deal with the other tribes. "Every Indian nation we've been dealing with is a federally recognized tribe in New York that has federally recognized land claims against the homeowners, the property owners of New York state," he was quoted as saying.

The Oneida Nation criticizes Pataki for settling with tribes from Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

Get the Story:
Pataki defends casino deals (The Syracuse Post-Standard 2/18)

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