"The Iroquois land claims were essentially knocked out of court last week. It was a pivotal moment in Upstate history. It cried out for thoughtful, gracious words from the winners.

Instead, the most memorable quote came from William Dorr, lawyer for Cayuga and Seneca counties: "There's no wrong to correct. The wrong was (26) years of litigation. The wrong was the Indians trying to get something for nothing."

Something for nothing.

That takes an awful lot for granted about an awful lot of people. Some of us have actually listened to living, breathing Indians who seem far less interested in "something for nothing" than in resolving what they maintain is a 200-year-old injustice.

Last week, we also waited for someone - notably Gov. George Pataki or U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton - to offer a statement invoking that kind of gravity.

Fat chance. All we heard was officials in suit coats, slapping hands."

Get the Story:
Sean Kirst: Land claim winners' lack of grace a disgrace (The Syracuse Post-Standard 5/22)

Supreme Court Briefs:
Cayuga Indian Nation of New York v. Pataki

Cayuga Land Claim Decision:
Cayuga Nation v. New York (June 28, 2005)

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

Relevant Links:
NARF-NCAI Tribal Supreme Court Project - http://doc.narf.org/sc/index.html
Indian Nation Fee-to-Trust Land Acquisition Applications in New York State - http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ogc/lands.html

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