Tuscarora Nation leadership dispute goes back decades

Monday, May 16, 2011  

The leaders of the Tuscarora Nation of New York were rebuffed at a recent Iroquois ceremony, according to The Niagara Falls Reporter.

Neil Patterson and his son put themselves up as chiefs at an April 30 Condolence Ceremony. But they were turned down after protests from other Tuscarora Clan Mothers, the paper said.

That doesn't mean Patterson isn't exercising authority on the reservation. On behalf of the tribe, he accepted a $100 million settlement with the state Power Authority in 2008, although not everyone knows where the money is going.

"It's $2 million a year, but who they gave it to and what's been done with it, I have no idea," state Sen. George Maziarz told the paper.

A tribal member said Patterson controls who gets power service on the reservation.

Get the Story:
WHO WILL LEAD THE TUSCARORA NATION? (The Niagara Falls Reporter 5/16)