Associate Interior deputy secretary Jim Cason said a decision on the Oneida Nations land-into-trust application won't be made until 2008 at the earliest.

Cason went to upstate New York to hear from local leaders and residents about the application for over 17,000 acres in two counties.. Many oppose the acquisition of any trust lands for the tribe.

According to news reports, Cason said he had concerns about jurisdiction and checkerboarding. He said local concerns will be taken into account.

The Bush administration ends in 2008.

Get the Story:
D.C. official has concerns on Oneidas' application (The Utica Observer-Dispatch 5/10)
Land trust ruling 2 years away (The Oneida Dispatch 5/10)
Oneida Land Trust Tour 2 (The Syracuse Post-Standard 5/10)

Relevant Links:
Oneida Nation, New York - http://www.oneida-nation.net

Sherrill v. Oneida Nation Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Ginsburg] | Concurrence [Souter] | Dissent [Stevens]

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