The Cayuga Nation is tired of waiting for federal approval for its proposed casino and has pulled out of its land settlement with the state.
The tribe announced Monday that its latest proposed land claim settlement with the state is now invalid because the Cayuga Nation will not renew its contract with casino developer Empire Resorts. The contract expired Dec. 31. Cayuga Nation spokesperson Clint Halftown said in a press release that Empire Resorts has failed to fulfill its promise to secure approval for the Cayugas' proposed full-scale casino at Monticello Racewat in the Catskills.
State officials said Monday they haven't been notified that the tribe has pulled out.
"We have not received any official word from the tribe that they've withdrawn from the agreement," said Todd Alhart, a spokesperson for Gov. George Pataki.
Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Herb Marshall said the ever-changing position of the Cayugas has left county officials confounded.
"They have a total lack of leadership that it's very difficult for me to understand where they are and where they are not," Marshall said. "This has changed so many times so drastically it's hard to comment."
In the Nov. 18 agreement with the state, the Nation was granted rights to build a casino in Sullivan County and agreed to withdraw its cross appeal in the land claim case, while the case would continue through the courts.
Under the settlement, if the tribe won the case, the state's payout was limited to $150 million, and the tribe would get the right to exercise sovereignty on 10,000 acres in the land claim area.
If the state won the case, the state would not pay damages and the tribe would have the right to exercise sovereignty on 2,500 acres total in the three contiguous land parcels each in Seneca and Cayuga counties.
Halftown said in the press release that the agreement might still have been acceptable if the state had not arranged settlements with out-of-state tribes that gave "out-of-state tribes a physical presence in New York State - an arrangement that would have granted local sovereignty to those tribes where there should be none."
The Cayuga Nation contends tribal groups that left New York do not have the same rights to sovereignty as the Nation does. Those tribes, however, contend they were forced to leave.
The Seneca-Cayugas of Oklahoma - a co-plaintiff in the land claim case - the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin-based Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, all negotiated settlements with the state in recent weeks.
"The Cayuga Nation of New York is anxious to resolve its claim against the state for illegally taking our land two centuries ago, but it is unwilling to do so if out-of-state tribes are given any land as part of the settlement," Halftown said in the release.
A traditional faction of the Cayugas had already said last month the proposed settlement was invalid because Halftown had no authority to negotiate on the Nation's behalf and was removed from the Nation's governing council in July.
Charles Degliomini, vice president for communications and government relations at Empire Resorts, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
State officials said Monday they haven't been notified that the tribe has pulled out.
"We have not received any official word from the tribe that they've withdrawn from the agreement," said Todd Alhart, a spokesperson for Gov. George Pataki.
Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Herb Marshall said the ever-changing position of the Cayugas has left county officials confounded.
"They have a total lack of leadership that it's very difficult for me to understand where they are and where they are not," Marshall said. "This has changed so many times so drastically it's hard to comment."
In the Nov. 18 agreement with the state, the Nation was granted rights to build a casino in Sullivan County and agreed to withdraw its cross appeal in the land claim case, while the case would continue through the courts.
Under the settlement, if the tribe won the case, the state's payout was limited to $150 million, and the tribe would get the right to exercise sovereignty on 10,000 acres in the land claim area.
If the state won the case, the state would not pay damages and the tribe would have the right to exercise sovereignty on 2,500 acres total in the three contiguous land parcels each in Seneca and Cayuga counties.
Halftown said in the press release that the agreement might still have been acceptable if the state had not arranged settlements with out-of-state tribes that gave "out-of-state tribes a physical presence in New York State - an arrangement that would have granted local sovereignty to those tribes where there should be none."
The Cayuga Nation contends tribal groups that left New York do not have the same rights to sovereignty as the Nation does. Those tribes, however, contend they were forced to leave.
The Seneca-Cayugas of Oklahoma - a co-plaintiff in the land claim case - the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin-based Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, all negotiated settlements with the state in recent weeks.
"The Cayuga Nation of New York is anxious to resolve its claim against the state for illegally taking our land two centuries ago, but it is unwilling to do so if out-of-state tribes are given any land as part of the settlement," Halftown said in the release.
A traditional faction of the Cayugas had already said last month the proposed settlement was invalid because Halftown had no authority to negotiate on the Nation's behalf and was removed from the Nation's governing council in July.
Charles Degliomini, vice president for communications and government relations at Empire Resorts, did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
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