The Oneida Nation of New York is asking a federal judge to keep its 250,000-acre land claim alive.

The tribe sued the state and two counties for the stolen land. The case has gone to the U.S. Supreme Court twice.

But it could be dismissed due to a Supreme Court ruling in a related case. The justices suggested that the passage of time weighed against tribal land claims.

The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals took that reasoning and dismissed the Cayuga land claim. Now, the state and the counties say the Oneida claim should also be thrown out of the court.

The federal government backs the Oneida Nation. Government lawyers say the tribe should be paid about $500,000 -- the value of the land at the time it was taken by the state.

Get the Story:
Oneidas, U.S. say don't let claim die (The Syracuse Post-Standard 12/18)

aDraft Environmental Impact Statement:
Oneida Nation of New York Conveyance of Lands Into Trust (November 2006)

Relevant Links:
Oneida Nation Trust - http://www.oneidanationtrust.com
Indian Nation Fee-to-Trust Land Acquisition Applications in New York State - http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/ogc/lands.html
Oneida Nation, New York - http://www.oneida-nation.net

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

Related Stories:
Five-hour meeting on Oneida Nation land-into-trust (12/15)
Counties offer Oneida land-into-trust proposal (12/14)
Anti-Oneida group denies racist statement against tribe (12/8)
Supreme Court won't hear Oneida gaming dispute (12/5)
Oneida Nation casino brings in more than $300M (12/1)
Land-into-trust report points to tribe's impact (11/27)
Oneida Nation works on jurisdiction agreement (11/21)
Oneida Nation foreclosure case headed to 2nd Circuit (11/15)
BIA readies report on Oneida Nation land-into-trust (09/29)
Cason meets land-into-trust foes from New York (9/15)
Cason to meet land-into-trust foes from New York (9/14)
Oneida Nation tax dispute headed to appeals court (09/08)
Cayuga Nation land-into-trust opponents to meet BIA (09/06)
Oneida Nation in court again over tax assessments (08/31)
Deal reached on Oneida Nation land-into-trust report (07/12)
Oneida Nation leader blasts land-into-trust critics (06/15)
Cayuga tribes fail to seek rehearing on land claim (06/14)
Another land claim denied by Supreme Court (6/6)
U.S. Supreme Court refuses to clarify tribal claims (05/16)
Supreme Court won't hear Cayuga land claim (5/15)
U.S. Supreme Court weighs Cayuga land claim (5/9)
Delaware Nation loses out-of-state land claim (05/05)
Cayuga Nation files response brief on land claim (04/20)
BIA holds meeting on Cayuga Nation land-into-trust (03/02)
Cayuga land claim at issue before high court (2/21)
Seneca Nation defends land buys in Buffalo (02/21)
Congressman seeks review of Seneca land buys (02/17)
BIA proposes to take land into trust for Cayuga Nation (2/13)
Cayuga Nation pays property taxes in two counties (2/10)
Supreme Court asked to revive Cayuga land claim (2/8)
DOJ asks Supreme Court to hear Cayuga land claim (01/18)
Supreme Court won't rule on Indian law cases (01/10)
Tribe sues to reclaim New Jersey reservation (01/09)
Ohio fights Eastern Shawnee Tribe's land claim (10/19)
Judge extends Sherrill decision to Cayuga Nation (10/06)
Cason: Cayuga Nation subject to Sherrill decision (9/29)
State seeks dismissal of Ottawa Tribe's lawsuit (08/25)
State asserts eminent domain on behalf of tribe (07/28)
Tribes confident on land claims despite court rulings (07/15)
Cayuga tribes to challenge land claim decision (7/5)
Oklahoma tribe's lawsuit claims large portion of Ohio (07/12)
Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma files Ohio treaty claim (07/01)
Appeals court kills Cayuga land claim after 25 years (6/29)
Oklahoma tribe sues in hopes of landing casino deal (06/28)
Land returned to Seneca Nation under settlement (06/23)
State hired professors to review tribe's land claim (06/03)
Another Oklahoma tribe's out-of-state bid rejected (06/02)
Cayuga Nation land case back before federal judge (05/05)
Pombo continues hearings on off-reservation gaming (05/02)
Supreme Court ruling impacts New York land claims (4/19)
Cayuga tribes confident on land claim appeal (4/12)
Supreme Court decision derails Pataki settlements (4/11)
Oklahoma tribe files claim to island in Ohio (04/07)
Supreme Court called less sympathetic to Indians (4/7)
Fallout from Supreme Court ruling on Oneida Nation (4/6)
BIA official calls high court ruling 'quite depressing' (03/31)
Major defeat for Oneida Nation in Supreme Court case (3/30)
Oklahoma tribe loses bid for out-of-state land (12/03)
Court rules against Seneca Nation's land claims (09/10)
Cayuga Nation land rights upheld by federal judge (4/26)
Cayuga Nation's plans for land worry some in village (04/07)
Report: Seneca-Cayuga Tribe has bigger plans in store (04/06)
Tribes ask court for $1.7B and title to lost land (04/01)
Federal appeals court to hear Cayuga land claim (3/31)
NIGC accused of 'ducking' casino land issue in N.Y. (03/23)
Seneca-Cayuga Tribe seeks deal to end land claim (03/19)
Judge in N.Y. hears Seneca-Cayuga land dispute (03/12)
Seneca-Cayuga Tribe could fund arts center in N.Y. (2/26)
Arguments set for appeal of Cayuga land claim (2/25)
Seneca-Cayuga Tribe makes offer to Pataki (11/19)
Court orders Cayuga Nation to stop renovations (10/23)
Cayuga Nation proposes land claim, tax settlement (10/21)
Cayuga Nation buys another gas station (10/06)
Bill would terminate out-of-state sovereign rights (09/26)
Appeals expected in Seneca-Cayuga Tribe's land case (09/10)
Judge to decide fate of Seneca-Cayuga Tribe's land (9/9)
Cayuga tribes slowly reclaiming ancestral territory (09/02)
Okla. tribe says court decision bolsters case (07/24)
Cayuga Nation welcomes Indian Country decision (07/23)
Oneida Nation wins treaty lands case (7/22)