The Bureau of Indian Affairs says the Seneca Nation of New York can apply its Indian preference policy at an off-reservation business.

The BIA said the Civil Rights Act of 1964 contains an exception that encourages tribes to hire their members and other Native Americans. The law applies to businesses on and off the reservation.

The tribe says its Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance applies to hiring on the reservation and at sites near the reservation. The ordinance includes the Hickory Stick Golf Course in Lewiston, which has been under construction since June 2007.

The Niagara County Industrial Development Agency asked the BIA for its views on the policy. IDA Chairman Henry M. Sloma called the policy "socially repugnant," The Buffalo News reported.

Get the Story:
Senecas’ preferential hiring practices upheld (The Buffalo News 12/13)

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