Oneida land-into-trust case drawing attention

Thursday, April 17, 2008  

Tribes across the country are paying attention to a land-into-trust case involving the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.

The National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund and the Great Lakes Intertribal Council submitted a brief in the case. They supported the tribe's right to be free from state condemnation proceedings on tribal-owned fee land.

Judge William Griesbach, however, said the Oneida Nation has to go through the land-into-trust process before asserting sovereignty on its land. The tribe has until later this month to appeal the decision.

The case is similar to one the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 2003. The justices ruled that the Oneida Nation of New York has to go through the land-into-trust process in order to avoid paying property taxes to local governments.

Get the Story:
Nation watching court case in Hobart (The Green Bay Press-Gazette 4/17)

Judge subjects Oneida fee land to local jurisdiction (03/31)