Law

St. Regis Mohawk Tribe still hopeful for land claim settlement

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe said it has engaged in "positive" land claim settlements talks with state and local governments in New York.

The tribe hopes to reach a settlement rather than litigate its land claim, which was filed more than two decades ago. After years of court maneuvers, a federal judge agreed to proceed with two aspects of the lawsuit, including the tribe's claim to a 2,000-acre area known as the Hogansburg Triangle.

“We continue to believe that it would be in the best interest of all parties to resolve this case through settlement, rather than continuing to engage in this costly and protracted litigation. Resolution would bring clarity and as well as financial benefits to the local governments and surrounding communities,” Chief Paul Thompson said in a press release.

The tribe hopes a settlement will resolve its land-into-trust application and a boundary dispute, in addition to the land claim. Talks are proceeding after the tribe agreed to continue sharing revenues from its gaming facilities.

“We would prefer a negotiated settlement to taking lands-into-trust. The land-into-trust process is expensive and time consuming, and, while it remains an option to the Tribe, would result in lands being taken, without agreement of the local governments—we understand that this will only continue the disputes over land that we’ve all endured for hundreds of years,” Chief Ron Lafrance said in the press release.

Get the Story:
Mohawks react to land claim ruling (Johnson Newspapers 7/10)
Mohawks Look to Cuomo for Settlement Over Land Claims (WWNY-TV 7/9)
Judge OKs portion of Mohawk Indians' land claim, throws out another (The Syracuse Post-Standard 7/9)

District Court Decision:
St. Regis Mohawk Tribe v. New York (July 8, 2013)