"The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma has said it wants to be a partner with Cayuga County communities looking to help this region grow economically.

But isn't a partner supposed to be open and honest?

The disclosure last week that the tribe has applied for federal trust status on the 229-acre farm it owns in Aurelius for the purpose of gaming should trouble the local officials who have thus far supported the casino proposal in Auburn.

When the Seneca-Cayugas and Auburn Mayor Tim Lattimore unveiled their casino project - and then pushed through a divided city council vote supporting the measure - we didn't know the tribe had already applied for sovereign status in Aurelius. And it seems local elected officials, at least the ones opposed to an out-of-state tribal casino, didn't know either.

This land-in-trust application was made in April. The public is learning about it in September. That's an inexcusable gap, especially considering the promises the tribe has made in the period in between. (It's also inexcusable that the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs doesn't notify local officials about these proposals for months.)"

Get the Story:
Editorial: Tribe's trust move raising new questions (The Auburn Citizen 9/17)

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

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

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