Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, R-New Hartford, called Thursday for the Department of Interior to suspend its review of the Oneida Nation's application to place the land it owns in Madison and Oneida counties in trust with the federal government.
The Oneidas applied to have 17,000 acres put in trust following the Supreme Court's Sherrill decision in March that land the Oneidas purchase through open-market transactions does not qualify as sovereign land and is not immune from local taxes and regulations.
The court also ruled the tribe can have their land become sovereign by applying for the land to be put in federal trust.
The land-in-trust application process was authorized by Congress in 1934 to allow the Department of Interior to take land into trust for Indians following the loss of tribal lands because of federal government policies in the 1800s to divide up communal tribal lands into individually-owned parcels. According to the Department of Interior, only eight percent of the lands lost to Indians in the 1800s have been reacquired.
Boehlert and fellow Congressman John McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, requested a meeting with Department of Interior officials to request the application be put on hold pending the conclusion of legal action over the Oneidas' land claim and pending potential future negotiations.
"The Sherrill decision presents a golden opportunity for all parties to return to the table for meaningful conversations with the expectation to finally resolve the land claims," Boehlert said.
"Congressmen Boehlert and McHugh are wrong when they criticize the Nation's trust-land application for lands reacquired in the Oneida reservation. The Supreme Court noted that the federal Department of the Interior, through the trust-land process, would permit local governments to be heard. The Nation is simply following what the Supreme Court said, and hopes everyone will respect the process," said Jerry Reed, the senior media specialist for the Oneida Indian Nation.
Boehlert also called for the land-into-trust application from the Cayuga Nation to be suspended. Daniel French, an attorney for Clint Halftown, the Cayugas' current federal representative, said last week he would submit an application for the Cayugas' land to be put in trust.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
The court also ruled the tribe can have their land become sovereign by applying for the land to be put in federal trust.
The land-in-trust application process was authorized by Congress in 1934 to allow the Department of Interior to take land into trust for Indians following the loss of tribal lands because of federal government policies in the 1800s to divide up communal tribal lands into individually-owned parcels. According to the Department of Interior, only eight percent of the lands lost to Indians in the 1800s have been reacquired.
Boehlert and fellow Congressman John McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, requested a meeting with Department of Interior officials to request the application be put on hold pending the conclusion of legal action over the Oneidas' land claim and pending potential future negotiations.
"The Sherrill decision presents a golden opportunity for all parties to return to the table for meaningful conversations with the expectation to finally resolve the land claims," Boehlert said.
"Congressmen Boehlert and McHugh are wrong when they criticize the Nation's trust-land application for lands reacquired in the Oneida reservation. The Supreme Court noted that the federal Department of the Interior, through the trust-land process, would permit local governments to be heard. The Nation is simply following what the Supreme Court said, and hopes everyone will respect the process," said Jerry Reed, the senior media specialist for the Oneida Indian Nation.
Boehlert also called for the land-into-trust application from the Cayuga Nation to be suspended. Daniel French, an attorney for Clint Halftown, the Cayugas' current federal representative, said last week he would submit an application for the Cayugas' land to be put in trust.
Staff writer Amaris Elliott-Engel can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or at amaris.elliot-engel@lee.net
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