Judge says Cayuga Nation owed $211M

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2001

A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that the state of New York owes the Cayuga Nation $211 million for taking 64,000 acres of land illegally during the late 1700s and early 1800s.

U.S. District Court Judge Neal P. McCurn had been mulling how much to award the tribe after a jury determined the land was worth $36.9 million. McCurn took evidence and heard testimony about how much interest to add.

To arrive at the figure, McCurn said he took 40 percent of the $527.5 million figure cited by the Department of Justice. The tribe said the interest was $1.7 billion.

The state, on the other hand, said the tribe didn't deserve interest. But state witnesses said any amount would be as low of $2.7 million or as high as $12.1 million.

An appeal of the amount is expected by both sides.

Get the Story:
Judge: Give Cayugas $211M (The Syracuse Newspapers 10/3)