A lawsuit in the works for decades finally came to fruition on Friday when the Onondaga Nation filed a claim for more than 2 million acres in upstate New York.

Tribal members and elders said they were emotional when they history day arrived. Audrey Shenandoah, a 78-year-old clan mother, said her grandparents talked about a lawsuit when she was a child.

The Onondaga Nation is the last of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy, to file a land claim. Unlike the other tribes, the Onondagas don't want to settle for gaming rights but instead want to reclaim some land and seek a cleanup of areas they say have been polluted by companies.

The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the tribe still owns the land in question but the tribe doesn't want to evict any homeowners and isn't asking for money damages.

Get the Story:
Onondaga Indians Sue NY Over Land But Spurn Casino (Reuters 3/14)
Land claim new take on old debate (The Syracuse Post-Standard 3/13)
Tribe Lays Claim to 3,100 Square Miles of New York State, but It Will Settle for Les (The New York Times 3/12)
pwnyt
Onondaga land claim hits home (AP 3/12)
For the Onondaga Nation, a historic day (The Syracuse Post-Standard 3/12)
Tribe sues for return of lands (The Albany Times-Union 3/12)

Relevant Links:
Onondaga Nation - http://www.onondaganation.org

Related Stories:
Onondaga Nation names state, companies in land claim (3/11)