In an effort to alleviate the Cayuga Nation's recent leadership contentions, two new chiefs were selected last weekend at the Onondaga Indian Nation's territory, the geographic center of the historic, six-tribe Iroquois confederacy.

Some Cayugas hope the naming of Sam George, a Bear Clan member, and William "Chuck" Jacobs, a Heron Clan member, to represent the Cayugas will clarify the tribe's direction over its land claim in Cayuga and Seneca counties and over settlement negotiations with the state involving the lure of a large-scale, lucrative casino.

Other tribal members, who have been involved in negotiating now-scrapped proposed settlements to the tribe's 25-year-old land claim, said the selection of George and Jacobs is still under question, raising the possibility the leadership divisions will continue. George and Jacobs were named the first chiefs since the death of then-chief Vernon Issacs in 2003.

Joseph Heath, a Syracuse attorney representing both the Onondagas in their land claim and the more traditional, anti-gaming members of the Cayugas, including Bernadette Hill, the Heron Clan Mother, said the appointment of George and Jacobs created a central leadership point for the tribe.

Following the tribe's dispersal from their territory near Cayuga Lake, "their ancient system has been really stretched. The clans are not functioning at the level they would like and would like to get them back to ... this is an important step in that process," Heath said.

Heath has been working with the six traditional members he represents, as well as with Dan French, who represents Clint Halftown, the tribe's current federal representative, to have one of the new chiefs take up that responsibility.

"There's an effort to bring differing parties in the nation together," French said. "The actions of condoling the chiefs may create new opportunities to bring cohesion to the governing body of the Cayuga Nation."

The Cayugas' leadership divisions were brought into the public eye after Halftown signed a proposed land-claim-settlement agreement with the state Nov. 18. Halftown retracted his support of the settlement by the end of the year, but Turtle Clan and Cayuga Council of Chiefs members Timothy Twoguns and Gary Wheeler consistently said the settlement would go forward until Gov. George Pataki himself withdrew support of the settlement last week.

Hill has said that Halftown, a Heron Clan member, had been removed from the governing council in July due to ill health and had no authority to negotiate the now-scrapped settlement agreement in the first place. Hill also has said the governor's office recognized the Cayuga leadership that was convenient to recognize.

The casino developer the Cayugas have contracted with said the new chiefs won't affect their business relationship with the tribe.

"The newly condoled chiefs have cultural, not legal status," said Empire Resorts spokesperson Charles Degliomini. "The state of New York does not recognized them as a binding authority, and neither does Empire Resorts."

The Cayuga Nation is a member of the Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee, confederacy with six tribal members: the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, Senecas and Tuscaroras.

George and Jacobs were selected to serve at the Iroquois' 50-member grand council designed to settle disputes between the confederacy members. The Cayugas' government is the traditional Council of Chiefs and Clan Mothers. The Cayuga Clan Mothers represent clans identifying with the Turtle, Heron and Bear and select the chiefs who represent each individual tribe.